AAPM Government Affairs

AAPM is deeply engaged in advocacy, continuously working to represent the interests of our profession with dedicated AAPM staff, expert consultants, and lobbyists actively monitoring, responding to, and leading initiatives that affect medical physicists.

(August 4, 2026)

NRC Proposed Rule to Modernize Radiation Protection Standards: Member Comment Opportunity

AAPM is reviewing and preparing an organizational response to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposed rule to modernize its radiation protection regulations. The proposed rule could have significant implications for medical physicists, Radiation Safety Officers, Radiation Safety Committees, authorized users, medical-use licensees, and institutions operating under NRC or Agreement State requirements.

A central issue in the proposed rule is NRC’s treatment of ALARA, “as low as reasonably achievable,” which has long been a foundational principle in radiation protection. The proposal would move away from the current ALARA terminology in favor of a more graded, objective dose-management framework. This shift could affect how radiation safety programs document compliance, manage occupational and public dose, and communicate protection standards in clinical and research settings.

The proposed rule also addresses several other areas relevant to medical use and radiation safety programs, including patient release, caregiver exposure, alternative dosimetry methods, dose monitoring, recordkeeping, and Agreement State implementation. These changes may affect how institutions structure radiation protection programs, train staff, maintain records, and demonstrate compliance during regulatory review or inspection.

Comments are due for submission to NRC by August 31. Members are encouraged to review the proposed rule and submit individual comments directly through the federal rulemaking docket. Individual member input can help NRC better understand how the proposed changes may affect clinical, academic, and research settings where medical physicists work.

Comments must be submitted electronically through the federal rulemaking docket no later than August 31, 2026. Submit Your Comments

AAPM Submits Response to NIH Request for Information on Proposed RPG Cap

AAPM submitted an organizational response to the National Institutes of Health Request for Information on a proposed policy to limit the number of simultaneous Research Project Grants held by an individual principal investigator. NIH sought public input on whether such a policy could help distribute research funding more broadly across investigators and institutions.

AAPM’s response emphasized that any policy based on award count must avoid unintended consequences for collaborative, interdisciplinary, and team-based science. Medical physics research often depends on investigators with complementary expertise working across imaging, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, artificial intelligence, engineering, data science, biology, and clinical care. A rigid cap could make it more difficult for investigators to participate in multi-PI projects or contribute specialized technical expertise to research teams.

AAPM also raised concerns that a cap could discourage investigators from pursuing smaller pilot awards or participating in modestly funded programs if those awards counted the same as larger grants. This could reduce applications to smaller research programs, limit opportunities for early-stage or exploratory work, and affect the development of shared resources, datasets, methods, and standards needed to translate new technologies into patient care.

AAPM urged NIH to preserve flexibility in any future policy and to account for the structure of collaborative biomedical research, including co-PI models, multi-institutional projects, and specialized scientific contributions that are central to medical physics research.

Please contact Lauren DePutter, AAPM’s Director of Government Affairs and External Relations, with any questions or concerns.

Monthly AAPM Advocacy Updates

How you can help!

Your voice and participation strengthen our advocacy efforts. Numerous opportunities exist for AAPM members to advocate by lending their voices, experiences and collective expertise.

Become a state champion through CHAMPS and CHAMPWG
Take action through the AAPM Advocacy Action Center to contact lawmakers and support key policy priorities affecting medical physics
Volunteer on key committees including GRAC, ECON or through subcommittees and working groups: WGPVAC, CRCPDS, JMPLSC, and GRPSC

How AAPM is Actively Advocating:

Monitoring and Engagement: Our staff and dedicated volunteers closely track news, policy actions, and communications from peer and partner organizations. This ensures we are informed and responsive, supporting relevant initiatives beneficial to our members.
Informing Membership: Stay updated through the AAPM Newsletter, e-News, association emails, committee updates, meeting sessions, social media, and by direct contact with staff and volunteers.
Working Collaboratively: AAPM has worked to establish a close and cooperative working relationships with numerous government bodies, organizations and key federal agencies, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with a range of medical providers, corporation, suppliers and peer professional societies. AAPM recently spearheaded a joint response to the July 17, 2025 Federal Register notice regarding proposed changes to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, with 5 peer societies adding their support. Read the response HERE.

Together, we can ensure the voice of medical physicists remains strong, informed, and influential.

Activities

Highlights of Recent Activities (2025):

AAPM recently spearheaded a joint response to the July 17, 2025 Federal Register notice regarding proposed changes to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, with 5 peer societies adding their support. Read the response HERE.
Supported multiple coalition letters advocating for robust federal funding of NIH and NSF research programs.
Endorsed ASTRO’s ROCR bill aimed at enhancing radiation oncology reimbursement.
Initiated a "Take-Action" campaign opposing indirect funding caps at NIH, successfully mobilizing over 90 advocacy messages to Congressional offices.
AAPM leadership approved an official Advocacy Agenda, a strategic roadmap to guide our government relations efforts moving forward.
AAPM’s inaugural Advocacy Day (Hill Day) scheduled for Thursday, July 31, 2025 immediately following our Annual Meeting.
Launched CHAMPS, a state-level grassroots advocacy program:
- The Steering Subcommittee is actively recruiting and training state volunteers.
- This program sets targeted advocacy goals and provides training resources to enhance state-level advocacy.
Strengthened partnerships and provided training through CRCPDS, enhancing our relationships with federal and state radiation programs.
ECON Committee diligently monitors and prepares for annual CMS rule cycles, offering training to members and submitting formal comments on behalf of medical physicists.
Through WGPVAC, we proactively engaged for the Veterans Affairs Hospitals—the nation’s largest healthcare system—to safeguard medical physics contracts crucial for patient care. AAPM previously facilitated the introduction of HR6800 to address hiring and retention challenges for therapy physicists within the VA, and we’re actively pursuing its reintroduction and expansion to diagnostic physicists.

Government Affairs