ACEP state chapter advocacy makes a difference in the lives and careers of every emergency physician, every day. In the first half of 2026, ACEP chapters have tallied policy wins to protect physicians against workplace violence and restrictive work contracts, fight for physician-led care, address the boarding crisis, and much more.

Although the victories look different state to state, together they tell a powerful story—ACEP gets results on the issues that matter most.

Defending Emergency Physician Autonomy

In January 2026, ACEP strengthened its policy on physician-led care to prioritize an emergency physician onsite leading care in every emergency department (ED). When Kentucky lawmakers proposed legislation that would have weakened physician oversight, KY ACEP sprang into action.

Episode 2 of ACEP’s Built on Results podcast features ACEP President-Elect Ryan Stanton, MD, FACEP, discussing ACEP’s work to defeat the bill and avoid setting a dangerous precedent for other states.

Prioritizing Emergency Physicians Not Corporations

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When PeaceHealth in Oregon tried to replace Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP) with an out-of-state group, ACEP and Oregon ACEP (OR-ACEP) swiftly mobilized and raised concerns.

As PeaceHealth attempted to subvert the ACEP-supported ban on corporate practice of medicine in Oregon, ACEP, OR-ACEP, and the Oregon Medical Association met with state lawmakers and called for stability and fairness in physician staffing. With pressure from ACEP advocacy bearing down, the health system ultimately reconsidered its contractual agreement with EEP.

Tackling Workplace Violence

Violence against health care workers is a pervasive threat, and ACEP chapters are strengthening laws that protect emergency physicians and care teams.

New York ACEP (NYACEP) championed a state law requiring hospitals to establish violence prevention programs that include annual workplace safety assessments and security presence in EDs. The legislation followed years of advocacy and coalition-building.

Utah’s emergency physicians also scored a major victory with passage of a new law requiring hospitals in the state to create workplace violence reporting systems and report incidents to the state health department. The Utah ACEP-supported measure will strengthen accountability around a problem that too often goes under-reported.

The Virginia chapter of ACEP (VACEP) helped shape a new law expanding workplace violence reporting requirements. The chapter was a key voice in a workgroup that updated an earlier state law with new requirements for public reporting.

Turning Boarding Data into Policy Action

Emergency physicians in Connecticut are proving that data can be harnessed to address the boarding crisis.

Early this year, the Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians (CCEP) launched a public dashboard to help track ED capacity levels and wait times statewide. The dashboard was built on legislation that CCEP helped secure: In 2024, the legislature passed PA 24-4, which required each hospital in Connecticut to report metrics on boarding annually through 2029.

The dashboard provides health care workers, policymakers, and patients, the evidence needed to push for real solutions to the boarding crisis.

Building Momentum Against Non-Competes

Concurrent with ACEP’s federal fight to eliminate non-compete agreements in health care, ACEP chapters are pushing for progress in their states.

This year, a new state law strongly supported by the Washington chapter of ACEP (WA-ACEP) banned most forms of non-compete agreements, giving emergency physicians the freedom to determine where they live and work.

The win came after similar ACEP-supported legislation was signed into law in neighboring Oregon. ACEP’s fight to protect emergency physician autonomy across the country is working.

Many States, One Voice

Each ACEP advocacy success reinforces that when emergency physicians speak with one voice, policymakers listen, and change becomes possible.