Policy Update (22 July 2026)

The public comment period for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, closed on 13 July. Over 496,000 comments were submitted to OMB, though the true number of comments may be lower, as reported by Science. The AAS submitted a comment that can be read here. OMB has indicated the proposed rule may take effect by 1 October, though the office must consider all unique comments beforehand. For more information on the proposed rule, check out AIP FYI’s What’s Ahead: The Week of July, 13, 2026. Thank you to all those who submitted comments in support of the scientific community. If you haven't already, please also urge your members of Congress to take action against this OMB proposed rule. You can easily call or email your members of Congress using our action alert.

On 9 July, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted Reflect Orbital permission to deploy and operate its proposed Earendil-1 demonstration satellite in low-Earth orbit using the requested radio spectrum. The AAS released a public statement in response to the FCC’s ruling. Various news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported on the FCC’s decision.

On 15 July, the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee held a hearing on the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) Mission Authorization Proposal, which proposes an opt-in, OSC-run interagency certification process for commercial space operators interested in pursuing novel space activities. The Space Subcommittee Chairman Haridopolos’s opening statement can be read here. The opening statement of Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Foushee can be found here, where she says:

“...technological progress cannot come at the expense of other important U.S. interests, including... scientific advancement... and the environment. That is why we must consider the implications, impacts, and potential unintended consequences of any mission authorization proposal and process. Large satellite constellations, for example, can interfere with optical and radio astronomy due to their reflectivity and radio transmission inference. Further, future commercial spacecraft that might land on the surface of Mars, could bring contamination that could affect the search for life, a fundamental scientific pursuit.”

On 17 July, the Department of Homeland Security published the final rule on "duration of status" to the Federal Register. This rule will establish a fixed time period, not to exceed four years, for F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and I (representatives of foreign information media) nonimmigrant classifications. Visa holders must apply for an extension of stay to lawfully remain in the United States past their admission period. This rule will take effect on 15 September. As a reminder, the AAS submitted a public comment on the proposed “duration of status” rule on 29 September 2025.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. For a chronological list of recent AAS actions and public policy updates, check out our Public Policy Updates page.