Changes in Federal Policy and Regulations

Apr 15, 2025

Added to Collection

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is monitoring changes in federal policy and regulations that may impact our community of acute, progressive and critical care nurses and the patients and families they care for.

We encourage our community members to seek reliable sources of information about policy and regulatory changes and to avoid amplifying misleading messages. AACN's values and the Code of Ethics for Nurses compel us to fully understand and anticipate the implications of policy on our practice, patients and work environments and to advocate accordingly.

Changes we are following include:

April 1, 2025

  • Additional layoffs at Health and Human Services (HHS), including the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health1

March 28, 2025

  • Rescission of the final scientific integrity policy of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)2

March 27, 2025

  • Reorganization of HHS and consolidating functions into the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA)3

March 6, 2025

  • Removing public comment from rule making processes at HHS agencies4
  • Federal actions that may limit or discourage access to comprehensive health insurance plans, including Medicaid5

February 19, 2025

  • Layoffs across HHS agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NIH, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)6

February 15, 2025

  • Ending COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools7

February 5, 2025

  • Decisions to alter federal agency webpages in response to executive orders8

January 27, 2025

  • Regulatory changes that allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to medical facilities9
  • Executive orders to end federal resources and influence private sector programs that affect the availability of information regarding the care of some segments of the populations we serve10
  • Cancellation of meetings, delays and terminations of funding at the NIH11
  • The Executive Order to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO)12

Want to learn more about federal policy changes?

  • Consider this tool to help you evaluate news sources for their reliability. For a balanced approach, read, watch, or listen to a variety of channels, or select sources that are in the middle and near the top of the chart.
  • If you would like to reach out to Congressional representatives, you can find their contact information by entering your zip code at: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
  • You can also use the website RNAction to reach out to Congress. This site prepares messages to address nursing priorities, promoting a unified voice for the nursing profession. Learn more at: https://rnaction.org/SitePages/Homepage.aspx/

Please email us at [email protected] with questions about AACN's work.

References:

  1. Tin, A. RFK Jr.'s layoffs expected to gut worker safety agency NIOSH, officials say. CBS News. Published March 31, 2025. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-layoffs-hhs-niosh-worker-safety-agency/
  2. National Institutes of Health. Rescission of the Final Scientific Integrity Policy of the National Institutes of Health. Published March 28, 2025. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-080.html
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again. Published March 27, 2025. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-restructuring-doge.html
  4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Policy on Adhering to the Text of the Administrative Procedure Act. Published March 3, 2025. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/03/2025-03300/policy-on-adhering-to-the-text-of-the-administrative-procedure-act
  5. Rudowitz R, Burns A, Hinton, E, Tolbert, J. Medicaid: What to Watch in 2025. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Published January 23, 2025. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-what-to-watch-in-2025/
  6. Advisory Board. Thousands laid off at HHS: What you need to know. Updated February 18, 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2025/02/18/hhs-layoffs
  7. WhiteHouse.gov. Keeping Education Accessible and Ending Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools. Published February 15, 2025. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-education-accessible-and-ending-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-in-schools/
  8. Feldscher, K. As health data disappear from government websites, experts push back. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Published February 5, 2025. Accessed February 5, 2025. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/as-health-data-disappear-from-government-websites-experts-push-back/
  9. WhiteHouse.gov. Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Published January 20, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-american-people-against-invasion/
  10. WhiteHouse.gov. Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing. Published January 20, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/
  11. Wadman M, Kaiser J. Trump hits NIH with "devastating' freezes on meetings, travel, communications, and hiring. __ Published January 22, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-hits-nih-devastating-freezes-meetings-travel-communications-and-hiring
  12. WhiteHouse.gov. Withdrawing The United States from The World Health Organization. Published January 20, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/