Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program

ACSM recently joined several other organizations in support of the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program. Specifically, a letter was sent to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to request their support for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget at the $200 million level as authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  

IIJA established policies and programs aimed at developing a transportation system that is safer, more sustainable and equitable, and provides broader access to economic opportunities. To realize these goals, a key piece of unfinished business for IIJA has been the failure to fully fund ATIIP.  

ATIIP is a unique and essential new program designed to leverage existing infrastructure to connect people to the places they need to go by foot and bicycle. The novel approach maximizes return on investment and ensures that the mobility and economic needs of urban, suburban, and rural areas are each addressed by investing in facilities connecting within and between communities. 

Click to read the letters sent to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee.

CDC Advisory Committee to the Director 

On May 7, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a notice entitled, Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to CDC’s Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD). In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the CDC is seeking nominations for membership on the ACD. The ACD consists of up to 15 experts knowledgeable in areas pertinent to the CDC mission, such as public health, global health, health disparities, biomedical research, and other fields as applicable. 

Any interested ACSM members should click here and follow the directions to apply for nomination.   

NIH Grants Policy

NIH recently released a notice entitled, Notice to Announce the Significant Changes to the NIH Grants Policy Statement for Fiscal Year 2024. NIH is announcing a publication of the updated significant changes that have already been made to the NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) in FY 2023 that will be reflected in the GPS for FY 2024. The NIH GPS provides both up-to-date policy guidance that serves as NIH’s standard terms and conditions of award for all NIH grants and cooperative agreements and extensive guidance to those who are interested in pursuing NIH grants. This update incorporates significant changes for FY 2024, such as new and modified requirements, the clarification of certain policies, and the implementation changes in statutes, regulations, and policies that have been implemented through appropriate legal and/or policy processes (e.g., Federal Register Notices, where appropriate) since the previous version of the NIHGPS was last released in December 2022. 

2024 Congressional Physical Activity Challenge 

ACSM, through its membership in the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA), has been promoting the Congressional Physical Activity Challenge. The Congressional Physical Activity Challenge (sponsored by PAA and MyZone) is an annual competition involving the offices of the U.S. Congress in a bid to achieve the highest level of physical activity. The Challenge is held each May for the duration of National Physical Fitness and Sport Month and open to all members of Congress & their congressional staff and interns, committee staff and leadership staff. This year we've also inviting the President’s Council on Sport, Fitness, and Nutrition to participate. Stay tuned for the launch of the leaderboard! 

Physical Activity Alliance “It's Time to Move” Update 

The PAA is currently working with a technical advisor to develop Reference Implementation Apps (for both the Provider and Patient) testing—significant progress has been made towards preparing the apps for the first round of testing, likely to start late May. After initial rounds of testing, both apps will launch for public use. In July, the PAA will participate in the CMS Connectathon and present updates on its work at the upcoming HL7 Work Group Meetings in Dallas, TX. 

Lastly, the PAA is continuing conversations with the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) about developing quality and performance measures around physical activity assessment and referral, creating important incentives for health plans, clinicians and health systems. The hope is to develop a strategic road map for doing this work in summer 2024.