March 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.

RSNA in Action

Senate Hearing Points to Radiology as an AI Success Story

RSNA staff attended the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness hearing, Less Hype, More Help: AI That Improves Safety, Productivity, and Care. The March 3 hearing featured witnesses from a range of sectors, including robotics, health care technology and manufacturing, demonstrating the wide scope overseen by this committee.

At the hearing, Rad AI Chief Innovation Officer Demetri Giannikopoulos highlighted radiology as the gold standard for effective AI integration. Witnesses and lawmakers agreed: AI must drive efficiency and patient outcomes while prioritizing rigorous safety and privacy. Mr. Giannikopoulos specifically noted RSNA’s leadership in responsible AI adoption to combat burnout and touted the Rad AI/RSNA Ventures partnership—a first-of-its-kind collaboration designed to bridge cutting-edge research and clinical workflow solutions.

Senate HELP Committee Tackles AI Transparency and Data Exchange

RSNA recently attended the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, Transforming Health Care with Data: Improving Patient Outcomes Through Next-Generation Care, which focused on the future of health AI and data exchange. Thomas Keane, MD, Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) testified on expanding the Trusted Exchange Framework Common Agreement (TEFCA) and using recent Requests for Information (RFI) to set standards for AI and data sharing. Leaders from across both sides of the aisle, including Chair, Bill Cassidy (R-LA), emphasized the need for interoperability and price transparency, while urging regulations that protect patient safety and privacy. RSNA continues to partner with Congress to ensure AI’s impact is prioritized across the health care enterprise.

RSNA on The Hill: Experts Advocate for Medical Imaging Research

On March 24, three RSNA volunteers, Samantha Zuckerman, MD, MBE, FSBI, Jana Ivanidze, MD, PhD and Rahul Sheth, MD, participated in the Future of Health Medical Imaging Capitol Hill Day organized by the Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research. Throughout the day, participants met with members of Congress and their staff to highlight the importance of medical research and its positive impact on their communities. RSNA is grateful to work with the Academy and participate in this event for its third consecutive year. Learn more about this event in RSNA News. 

Samantha Zuckerman, MD, MBE; Rahul Sheth, MD; and Jana Ivanidze, MD, PhD, represented RSNA during Hill Day activities, discussing the issues critical to our specialty and visiting the MedTech Showcase, where presenters demonstrated their research and how it's impacting their local communities.

Federal Policy Update

ASTP, AI and Accessibility—RSNA Works to Bridge Policy and Practice on Evolving AI Landscape

Federal agencies and Congress continue to focus on AI’s implications for health care and medicine. In recent months, HHS and other federal stakeholders have increasingly sought input on how to build practical, risk-based regulatory frameworks for health AI—balancing innovation with the need for patient safety, privacy protections and interoperable data standards. See the table below to learn more about how RSNA is actively engaging these opportunities to help ensure that emerging policies reflect real-world clinical workflows in medical imaging and support responsible AI adoption.

Recent Federal AI Policy Activities and RSNA’s Responses:

View all of RSNA's responses on the Government Relations page.

AI and Federal Policy: What the Future of Care Holds for the Health of Rural America

Rural health has emerged as a growing focus for policymakers, as Congress and the Administration debate whether AI and other emerging technologies can meaningfully improve care access and outcomes in rural communities. While health technology offers promising solutions to pressing challenges in rural areas, policymakers are increasingly grappling with whether workforce shortages, infrastructure gaps and policy barriers may limit their impact. 

These challenges were highlighted at a Feb. 25 congressional briefing hosted by the National Hispanic Health Foundation and the Association of American Medical Colleges, where Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) discussed congressional efforts to address persistent rural health disparities. Experts emphasized that rural patients often experience poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts and that providers face ongoing difficulties recruiting, retaining and training a sufficient health care workforce.

Speakers also pointed to the Rural Health Transformation Program as a vehicle for how states can expand their digital health infrastructure, strengthen telehealth capacity and address workforce shortages. However, experts cautioned that recent immigration policy changes—including the $100,000 H1B visa fee and travel restrictions—could further strain rural health systems. Experts further highlighted how increased funding for biomedical research and legislation such as the Resident Physician Workforce Shortage Act (H.R. 3890), which would increase residency training slots, could help mitigate the challenges faced by rural communities.

These themes were reinforced during the March 5 Senate HELP Committee hearing with Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, Dr. Keane (see story above). At that hearing, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) warned that expanding AI in health care could erode trust in rural communities and emphasized that many of these areas lack basic broadband access, making it unrealistic to expect federal funds for AI-powered medical technology to benefit these underserved regions. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) raised similar points in the Senate hearing, Less Hype More Help, AI That Improves Safety, Productivity, and Care (see story above), exploring how rural communities can use AI-enabled medical technology to improve patient outcomes.

Taken together, these discussions underscore a growing policy debate over how emerging technologies like AI can realistically address longstanding rural health challenges. As Congress and the Administration weigh investments in digital infrastructure, workforce expansion and biomedical research, lawmakers are increasingly focused on ensuring that innovation does not outpace the capacity of rural communities to benefit from it.

In The News

Radiology Business: Bipartisan Bill Would Exempt Radiologists from New $100,000 Visa Fee 

On March 17, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) alongside Representatives Maria Salazar (R-FL), Yvette Clark (D-NY) and Sanford Biship (D-GA) introduced a bill to allow an exception for health care workers from the $100,000 H-1B visa fee imposed by the Trump Administration last fall. This bill is one of the first measures being taken by Congress to minimize the negative impact this action is having on rural and medically underserved communities across the nation.

Fierce Healthcare: AI-Fueled Misdiagnoses, Rural Care Barriers Are 2026's Top Patient Safety Threats: ECRI

A new report from Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) identifies the top patient safety threats for 2026, warning that the growing use of AI in health care could lead to diagnostic errors if not carefully monitored. The report highlights worsening access to care in rural communities as hospitals close and provider shortages deepen, alongside broader systemic risks such as workforce shortages and failures to report medical errors.

Becker’s Hospital Review: White House unveils AI legislative framework

On March 20, the Trump Administration released an artificial intelligence legislative framework urging Congress to codify many of the President’s AI-related executive orders. The framework calls on Congress to prohibit states from enacting AI regulations deemed overly burdensome to developers, reduce electricity cost pressures associated with AI deployment, and establish specific protections for minors using AI, among other provisions. Republicans in Congress quickly endorsed the framework as part of broader efforts to advance legislation that would formalize these executive actions.

Office of Ted Budd: Budd, Kim Introduce Bipartisan Bill Opening Government Data Sets to Better Train American AI Models - U.S. Senator Ted Budd

On March 16, Senator Tedd Budd (R-NC) and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Artificial Intelligence Ready Data Act. The bill tasks the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) with developing guidelines to improve the quality, interoperability, and usability of publicly available federal data to support the development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies. 

Contact RSNA Government Relations with questions or feedback.

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