Congressional Momentum Grows for FAIR Act and Community TEAMS Act
Published June 29, 2026
By AACOM Government Relations
Advocacy Federal Policy GME Osteopathic Representation Rural Medicine Transition to Residency
AACOM’s healthcare workforce priorities are gaining traction in Congress. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) submitted the Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act, S. 2715, as Amendment 6412 to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, giving new visibility to efforts to ensure osteopathic medical students are treated fairly in the residency application process.
Continuing the momentum in the House, U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) circulated a Dear Colleague letter urging all Representatives to cosponsor the FAIR Act, H.R. 2314. Representative Marc Veasey (D-TX) , pursued a parallel strategy on the Community TEAMS Act, H.R. 3885, also circulating a Dear Colleague letter seeking cosponsors. Stakeholder support continues to grow, with 13 additional national and state organizations signing AACOM’s coalition letters on the FAIR Act and Community TEAMS Act this month alone. Now is the time to build on this progress. Join us for AACOM Advocacy Day on September 16-17, 2026, to help advance these critical priorities. |