OME Advocate Newsletter

• AACOM applauds the appointment of Jeffrey Stroup, PharmD, professor of internal medicine, provost and senior vice president at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI).
• NACIQI advises the U.S. Secretary of Education on accreditation, institutional quality and eligibility for federal student aid programs. Its recommendations help shape the federal oversight of accrediting agencies and support quality and accountability across higher education.
• On July 22-23, 2026, NACIQI reviewed the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA-COCA) for renewal of recognition.
• NACIQI voted to recommend that the Senior Department Official accept all recommendations in the Department of Education's Final Staff Report. The report recommends continuing AOA-COCA’s recognition while requiring the agency to come into compliance with specified criteria within 12 months and submit a compliance report 30 days later.

Osteopathic medical students continue to face unnecessary barriers in the residency match. Together, we can change that.

Join hundreds of osteopathic advocates at AACOM Advocacy Day and urge Congress to support the Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act, H.R. 2314 / S. 2715, bipartisan legislation that would help ensure osteopathic medical students receive fair consideration for Medicare-funded residency programs. Register by July 31 for the best opportunity to participate in congressional meetings.

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• On July 21, 2026, the House passed its continuing resolution (CR), H.R. 9770, by a 220–205 vote. The relatively clean CR would extend fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding through December 4, 2026, and avert a government shutdown before the midterm elections.
• With few legislative days remaining before FY27 begins on October 1, Congress is unlikely to complete all annual appropriations bills on time.
• The House-passed measure does not include White House-requested “anomalies,” which would adjust funding or extend authorities for select programs.
• The Senate is expected to consider the White House language before it brings up the CR for a vote, but there are other points of contention as bipartisan talks continue.
• The CR activity and debate is unfolding as House Republicans advance a third budget reconciliation package—a $95 billion framework addressing defense, agricultural assistance and voter identification requirements.

• On July 22, 2026, the Senate HELP Committee unanimously passed the EMPOWER for Health Act, S. 4110, and the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act, S. 1874, reauthorizing the HRSA Title VII and Title VIII health professions and nursing workforce development programs through fiscal year 2031.
• The Committee also advanced the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, S. 2355, by a 21-1 vote, requiring hospitals and other providers to publish prices and negotiated costs, along with six additional bills including a measure capping insulin costs at $35 per month for patients on private and employer-sponsored plans.
• AACOM continues to support the reauthorization of Title VII and Title VIII health workforce development programs.

• On July 20 and 21, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced 29 bills covering energy grid modernization, drug pricing transparency and nutrition education and chronic disease prevention.
• The committee unanimously passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, H.R. 9393, a comprehensive package that served as a vehicle for several bipartisan health priorities, including requiring hospitals and insurers to disclose prices and strengthening prior authorization accountability in Medicare Advantage.
• The package also included Rep. Diana Harshbarger’s (R-TN) bill, the Nutrition Education and Chronic Disease Prevention in Community Health Centers Act, H.R. 9389, which would authorize $125 million for nutrition education and chronic disease prevention at community health centers in 2027 and 2028.
• View AACOM’s summary of the markup.

• On July 14, 2026, the House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing, “Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools,” examining diversity, equity and inclusion in medical school admissions, curricula and clinical training.
• Republican members questioned whether DEI initiatives have undermined merit-based admissions and evidence-based medical education, while Democratic members and witnesses emphasized that instruction on social determinants of health, cultural competency and health disparities is essential to preparing physicians to care for diverse patient populations.
• The hearing also addressed physician shortages, graduate student loan limits and the need to sustain federal biomedical research funding. For more information, view AACOM’s hearing summary.
• On July 15, 2026, the Committee held a separate markup and advanced Chairman Tim Walberg’s (R-MI) Less Bureaucracy, Better Education package, which would transfer certain Department of Education responsibilities to other federal agencies.
• The package addresses higher education, workforce development, student aid, foreign medical accreditation, tribal education and federal oversight responsibilities, while focusing on student outcomes and taxpayers.

• On July 15, 2026, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a confirmation hearing on the nominations of Sean Kaufman, MPH, to serve as assistant secretary for preparedness and response (ASPR) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Erica Schwartz, MD, to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Kaufman emphasized stronger intergovernmental partnerships, investment in the public health preparedness workforce and modernization of critical medical product development and delivery. Schwartz highlighted restoring public trust through transparency and scientific integrity, modernizing public health data systems and strengthening state, local, tribal and territorial partnerships.
• After postponing both nominations amid attendance issues and concerns about Kaufman’s vaccine-related views, the Committee has rescheduled votes for July 30. If advanced, the nominations will move to the full Senate.

• On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule replacing “duration of status” for F and J visa holders with a fixed four-year period of authorized stay.
• Students and exchange visitors who need additional time must apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension and pay a fee. Current F and J visa holders will have four years from the rule’s effective date to seek an extension.
• The rule also restricts transfers between schools, shortens the post-program departure period from 60 to 30 days and subjects individuals who overstay to potential three- or ten-year reentry bans.
• The rule takes effect September 15, 2026.