Latest news with #SenateBill5396
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Washington Senate panel advances mental health benefits for pilots
The Brief A proposal to ensure pilots and other airport employees would get paid family and medical leave benefits when out of commission for FAA medical recertification advanced in the state Senate Friday. The bill was inspired in part by a 2023 incident where an off-duty pilot in crisis allegedly tried to shut off a plane's engines mid-flight. OLYMPIA, Wash. - A proposal to support pilots who are disqualified from flying due to mental health reasons advanced in the state Senate Friday morning. Pilots say the bill addresses a huge barrier in getting necessary care, with an almost catastrophic situation driving the legislation. Senate Bill 5396 would ensure paid family and medical leave benefits are given to pilots, air traffic controllers and other employees who are waiting to be medically recertified by the Federal Aviation Administration around "mental and neurologic standards." Under federal law, pilots and other staff must obtain a "medical certificate" to do their jobs. Certain health conditions can disqualify someone from work unless they go through a process to be reinstated. Pilots have said that the recertification process is arduous, often taking a long time to complete and causing a lot of economic hardship. Brad Maas, an airline pilot with the Pilot Mental Health Campaign, said his journey through the FAA medical certificate process took nearly 600 days to complete, putting him in a tough spot financially "for doing the right thing and seeking mental healthcare." "The unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of pilots do not choose the path toward mental wellness," he told the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce on January 28. "Why? Financial loss and financial uncertainty are the main reasons my colleagues do not take the necessary steps." State Senator Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), said he is sponsoring the legislation to make sure pilots are healthy and safe as they keep people moving. He was moved to take action after a terrifying incident in October of 2023, when an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot struggling with mental health issues allegedly tried to shut off the engines of a jet as it was flying from Everett to San Francisco. "What was clear in the aftermath is that the pilot himself lost his career, is deeply regretful of what happened and has raised awareness of the challenges for our pilots to access necessary care," Liias said. A state fiscal analysis projects the bill will result in increases for paid family and medical leave premiums. Airlines previously expressed concerns over some of the requirements for companies to compensate employees once their paid family and medical leave benefits expired. But the legislation was amended to accommodate the companies' own leave benefits. In the end, all members of the Labor and Commerce committee in attendance Friday supported moving the bill forward. "I think it's a well-worked bill and I know that people have–the various groups have worked very diligently and very hard to try and find some common ground where they could come together, and I think they've achieved that," said state Senator Curtis King (R-Yakima) The bill now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which has until February 28 to consider the proposal and whether to move it to the full Senate. The Source Information in this story is from Albert James, a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University. Man, woman found dead in Tacoma, police investigating 'You steal for a living': Everett antique store confronts accused serial shoplifters Trump Administration's federal layoffs close popular WA trails 2 bills aimed at improving community safety in WA advance Pirate plunders boat motors from Gig Harbor, WA marina To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Axios
06-02-2025
- Health
- Axios
Washington state bill aims to support pilots' mental health
A measure before Washington's Legislature aims to make it less financially risky for airline pilots to seek mental health treatment, which the bill's supporters say could reduce the potential for dangerous incidents in the air. Why it matters: The bill was inspired by a 2023 incident in which an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot allegedly tried to shut down a plane's engines on a flight from Everett, Washington, causing an emergency landing in Portland. That pilot now faces criminal charges. Last week's plane crashes in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia have brought renewed attention to aviation safety. Zoom in: The Washington state bill would ensure pilots could access the state's paid family leave benefits if they report a mental health issue that causes the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend their medical certification, making them temporarily unable to fly. Though most mental health issues aren't permanently disqualifying, pilots who report such problems have to go through a special recertification process, which can take a year or more and lead to a big loss in income, supporters of Senate Bill 5396 said a public hearing last week before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. Pilots and a doctor told committee members that the bill would encourage more pilots to seek mental health care by ensuring they can rely on state medical leave payments to help offset the income they lose while awaiting FAA recertification. Catch up quick: State Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) said the 2023 incident involving the former Alaska Airlines pilot "has raised awareness of the challenges for pilots to access necessary care." Liias, the lead sponsor of the new bill, described the pilot as "attempting to self-medicate for depression" at the time. The pilot, Joseph Emerson, told the New York Times he thought he was dreaming during the flight and had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier. Emerson has pleaded not guilty to 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree, a class C felony, in connection with the incident, which occurred on a flight that left from Paine Field in Liias' district. What they're saying: "Pilots perform incredibly important work for us," Liias said during last week's committee hearing. "We want to make sure they are healthy and safe as they do that work." The big picture: A 2022 study that surveyed more than 3,700 pilots found that 56% of them "reported a history of healthcare avoidance behavior" because they feared losing their aeromedical certificate. Friction point: Airline companies, including Alaska and Delta, raised concerns about part of the legislation that would require employers to pay pilots their full wages after state family leave benefits run out, should pilots still be waiting for medical recertification. The state medical leave program pays up to $1,542 per week for 12 weeks. What we're watching: The bill has not yet been scheduled for a committee vote. Most non-budgetary bills must pass out of committee by Feb. 21 to stay in play.
