Advocacy in Action This Fall: LAS, Student Loan Litigation, and a Consequential Mid-Term Election

October 9, 2026

With the potential for November’s midterm elections to reshape Congress and state legislatures, planning for state 2027 legislative sessions and a new US Congress is especially challenging this fall.

That uncertainty was a major topic of conversation at this year’s Leadership and Advocacy Summit (LAS), where more than 200 PA advocates from across the country gathered to strengthen their advocacy skills to boost state efforts and to advance AAPA’s federal legislative priorities.  If you attended LAS this year and have not filled out the survey, we want to hear from you!

Altogether, LAS attendees from 43 states and D.C. met with more than 200 Congressional offices, furthering relationships with lawmakers and their staff while advocating for bills that will strengthen the healthcare workforce, improve access to care, and eliminate red tape and streamline care.

At the top of the list were two bipartisan bills: The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (H.R. 3170/S.3296) and the Professional Student Degree Act (H.R. 6718).

H.R. 3170/S.3296, which we often refer to as the “FECA bill”, would modernize the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) so that PAs can provide care to injured federal workers. LAS attendees have previously advocated for this legislation, and the forward progress the bill made this year is proof positive that long-term advocacy works!

This legislation passed the House Committee on Education and Workforce in June 2025 unanimously (34-0). In August, it passed the Senate HSGAC Committee on a voice vote. As the 119th Congress nears an end, it is unclear at this time if the bill will advance on its own or as part of a larger legislative package in either chamber; however, what is clear is that we are making headway on an important piece of legislation that would help to ensure injured federal workers have access to timely care.

The other priority bill this year, the Professional Student Degree Act, would protect access to PA and other licensed healthcare professional education by clarifying which programs qualify as “professional degree programs” under federal student loan law.

And, while advocates were gathering support for this bill on Capitol Hill, AAPA and PAEA were in the final stages of preparing a motion for summary judgment with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

This step is the most recent in our litigation against the U.S. Department of Education (ED), challenging ED’s classification of PA programs under new federal student loan limits. You can read more about where the case stands, what has happened so far, and what PAs and PA students should know in AAPA’s most recent FAQ.

From LAS to a final push for federal bills, it’s been an eventful start to the fall. As we look ahead to November and planning for potential changes in political landscapes across the country, we understand there may be questions and uncertainty about what lies ahead. To help address these questions and inform AAPA members as we look to next year, AAPA is hosting an exclusive, members-only, post-election webinar on November 16 at 8 p.m. ET.

During this webinar, AAPA leaders and national political experts will examine the election outcomes and explore how these shifts could impact healthcare policy and the profession’s future state and federal advocacy efforts.

I hope you will join us for this discussion, where we will talk about tangible ways you can navigate the post-election landscape and continue your advocacy efforts with new or returning officials. If you are not already receiving AAPA Advocacy Alerts, please take a moment to sign up. We may not know what the state and federal legislatures will look like in 2027, but all elected officials – especially those who will be new to office – need to hear from you!

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