July 2026—Washington Update is a monthly publication by RSNA Government Relations, intended to deliver updates regarding current federal policy developments and to highlight RSNA’s initiatives to advance the Society’s policy objectives. All material featured in this newsletter reflects the most current information available at the time of release.

Please note: There will be no August Edition of Washington Update due to the Congressional Recess. The next issue will arrive in September.

RSNA in Action

Celebrating One Year of Washington Update!

One year ago, RSNA Government Relations launched Washington Update to help our members better understand how federal policy is shaping the practice of radiology and patient care. Over the past 12 months, the newsletter has connected timely federal policy developments in Washington to RSNA Government Relations’ three core priorities: responsible AI policy, radiology workforce challenges and medical imaging innovation.

The launch of Washington Update reflects RSNA’s broader commitment to strengthening its advocacy presence—not only responding to federal action, but proactively engaging policymakers and agency leaders whose decisions affect medical imaging and the patients we serve. RSNA looks forward to continuing this momentum and expanding its advocacy efforts in the years ahead.

Accelerating the Adoption of AI in Clinical Care: Updates from HHS

On June 25, RSNA staff attended a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) webinar, hosted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), focused on federal efforts to accelerate the responsible adoption of AI in clinical care. The webinar featured updates from federal health technology leaders, including Thomas Keane, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and Rick Abramson, MD, MHCDS, Director of the Digital Health Center of Excellence, on HHS’ department-wide AI strategy, data interoperability and the use of AI in clinical workflows.

The discussion followed ONC’s February 2026 Request for Information (RFI) on accelerating the adoption and use of AI in clinical care. See the comments that RSNA submitted in response to this RFI. RSNA will continue engaging with HHS and federal partners to advance practical, evidence-based policies that support safe, effective and clinically meaningful AI adoption in patient care.

Federal Policy Update

Primary Election Results Signal Potential Shifts in Congressional Health Policy Leadership

Ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, primary races across the country are already reshaping the outlook for the 120^th Congress that begins in January 2027.

In several districts that are solidly held by Democrats, progressive candidates won June and July primaries, making them the likely winners in the November general election. Because these contests effectively determine who will hold those seats, the results will likely influence the priorities, leadership dynamics and policy agenda of the next Congress.

One of the most consequential primary elections for Democrats was in Colorado’s First Congressional District, which covers a large portion of the city and county of Denver. Political newcomer Melat Kiros defeated long-time incumbent Representative Diana DeGette. Over nearly three decades in the House, Rep. DeGette became a leading voice on health policy, including her work on landmark legislation such as the 21st Century Cures Act, which sought to accelerate medical innovation, strengthen research and improve patient access to new treatments.

Rep. DeGette’s loss raises questions about which member may step into the role of top Democrat on the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee. Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA), a physician and current member of the committee, is among the names being discussed as a potential successor. Regardless of who succeeds Rep. DeGette, the transition will reshape how the biomedical and health policy advocacy community engages with the Energy & Commerce Committee, as stakeholders work to build relationships with new leaders and understand their policy priorities.

RSNA will continue to monitor election developments and assess how changes in congressional leadership could affect the Society’s policy priorities.

House AI Legislative Package Highlights Federal Focus on AI Standards, Data and Workforce

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee has advanced a package of 10 AI bills. Collectively, the package is aimed at strengthening federal AI research, standards, security, education and workforce development.

Several of the measures would expand the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in AI governance, including efforts to assess national and economic security risks, create voluntary guidelines for AI-ready federal data and develop model documentation templates. Other bills would support AI research infrastructure through the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), improve AI education and literacy, create interdisciplinary AI fellowships and develop a national framework for AI workforce competencies.

Although the House Science Committee does not have direct jurisdiction over health policy or biomedical research, the package has important implications for radiology and health AI. Together, the bills reflect growing congressional interest in the policy foundations needed for trustworthy AI adoption, including reliable standards, high-quality data, transparency, workforce readiness and mechanisms for identifying and reporting AI flaws.

These issues closely align with RSNA’s AI policy priorities as policymakers consider how federal standards and research infrastructure can support the safe, effective and clinically meaningful use of AI in patient care. RSNA will continue to monitor these developments and provide resources to members of Congress working on AI issues that are important to radiology and patient care.

In The News

RSNA News: Radiology Researchers Navigate NIH Funding and Policy Changes

Radiologists and medical imaging researchers, like others across the biomedical research community, have been grappling with NIH funding and policy changes since early 2025. Advocacy efforts helped push back against the most severe proposed funding cuts, but continued funding uncertainty and proposed policy shifts remain ongoing challenges. To protect imaging research and maintain a strong biomedical research ecosystem, sustained advocacy and engagement with policymakers will be essential, especially considering proposed new rule changes that could significantly reshape the policies and processes governing federal grantmaking, including biomedical research grants issued by the NIH.

Health IT News: Healthcare AI's next big leap: Removing friction from clinical workflows

Healthcare AI is increasingly being viewed as a tool to reduce friction in clinical workflows rather than simply adding new digital capabilities. Dr. Alex Towbin, a radiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Chair of the RSNA Government Relations Committee, described the next phase of healthcare IT as “workflow intelligence,” focused on coordinating work, automating information flow and surfacing relevant data when clinicians need it. As workforce pressures, clinician burnout and data volumes continue to grow, AI-enabled workflow redesign could help reduce administrative burden and support more efficient care delivery.

STAT News: A ‘historic’ FDA clearance raises the question: Is the LLM an interface or the decision-maker?

Digital health company UpDoc received FDA clearance for a diabetes management app that uses patient-facing large language models. The app allows patients to enter health data by voice or text and receive treatment instructions based on a physician-defined care plan, raising questions about whether the LLM is acting as an interface or part of the clinical decision-making process. The clearance highlights the evolving regulatory questions surrounding AI-enabled clinical tools as patient-facing systems move further into care management workflows. As federal agencies continue to evaluate how generative AI should be governed in healthcare, the development underscores the need for clear standards around transparency, clinician oversight, accountability and patient safety.

Becker’s Hospital Review: Big Tech softens its AI jobs warning: Health system CIOs were already there

Health system CIOs are taking a more measured view of AI’s workforce impact, emphasizing augmentation over broad job replacement. While major technology companies have softened earlier warnings about AI-driven job loss, healthcare leaders cited by Becker’s said AI is already reshaping work by expanding IT capacity, changing job responsibilities and moving more human effort toward patient experience, judgment and relationships. The article notes that healthcare has largely avoided the AI-linked layoffs seen in other sectors, though some roles may continue to shift as health systems adopt AI tools. For radiology and healthcare more broadly, the trend underscores the importance of workforce planning, clinician oversight and thoughtful AI implementation as technology becomes more integrated into clinical and operational workflows.

Contact RSNA Government Relations with questions or feedback.

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