[Intl_DxMedPhys] NRC rule changes

Thu Jul 30 09:06:07 EDT 2026

For those who have not been following all this, one is a revision to Part 20 and one is a revision to Part 35.  There is also a revision in a separate rule making about licensing to permit General Licenses for simple diagnostic nuclear med.  There are also 3 new regulatory guides, and some older ones referenced…… around 450 pages of new stuff and coming.

Some highlights for you all…

  *   As Adam mentioned – traditional ALARA is dead – long live… Alara V 2.0?  Now with built in cost benefit analysis and $$$ / Person-Rem avoided justification guidance once you hit some of those stepwise trigger levels….
  *   Updated dose guidance to allow alternate schema than ICRP 26/30 for occupational dose and NRC compliance without having to ask for special permission – lots of new stuff will be pre-approved for general use – and doses may be used interchangeably – which will cause great angst for some people.
  *   Public dose remains at 100 mrem/yr; proposed to drop 2 mrem in an hour restriction on uncontrolled areas.
     *   Dose constraints apply here – cost benefit proposed if going over 25 mrem / yr according to narrative.
     *   See also new regulatory guide proposed for control of dose at medical institutions.
  *   Occupational dose limits remain “mostly” the same – we get a new special limit if we want to use it for Planned Occupational Dose Limit Extension  which allows occupational workers to exceed the annual limit but ties back to a “budget” of accrued dose/risk allowance over rolling 5 year preceding period.
  *   Patient release limits change
     *   Now per treatment Course; still 500 mrem to general public
     *   New Caregiver limit (if consenting) 5000 mrem – separate from any dose below.
     *   As written any patient release requires consent of the patient regardless of dose to others.
  *   In-patient care limits change.
     *   Instead of needing a license amendment, caregivers can get 2 rem during a hospital admission built into the regs….
     *   Added rules for safety instructions on care of some other classes of patients.
  *   AU training is revised.
  *   New record keeping requirements proposed to replace the 7 year Recentness of Training provisions.
  *   Lots of cleanup on requirements for medical uses, bringing Y-90 into Part 35, updating gamma knife rules etc….; close loophole on computer based treatment planning and acceptance testing.

This will of course all trickle out to the agreement states, most is pretty high compatibility class – and once it hits the AS especially it will probably affect all of your x-ray and other machine produced sources as well since most states have unified rules.  Keep all that in mind while reviewing these and how it will affect your practices and programs generally when looking to comment.

Regards,

Bryan Lemieux, MS CHP DABMP
Associate Chief - Radiation Safety
Radiation Safety Officer
UK HealthCare
________________________________
From: Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list <intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list-bounces+bryan.lemieux=uky.edu at lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Adam Springer via Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list <intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu>
Sent: Thursday, 30 July 2026 07:21:19
To: kenharper14 via Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list <intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu>
Subject: [Intl_DxMedPhys] NRC rule changes

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Forgive me if someone has posted on this already. The executive order for the NRC is resulting in regulatory changes for medical use of RAM. See the proposed rules and a way to give feedback at the link below. The summary makes them sound good. 

Forgive me if someone has posted on this already.

The executive order for the NRC is resulting in regulatory changes for medical use of RAM.  See the proposed rules and a way to give feedback at the link below. The summary makes them sound good.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.regulations.gov/document/NRC-2025-1237-0001__;!!KGKeukY!0OXuhh4YeC0UoAbvcVrO6qVJuJZjvLGmOsKCvq92R8TR4YNN4-m3JhF2Oi2fyIohK6mWyKS6oN5jjNMYSRZYlXbHJemMPGDlr9uTlKMc6u4wJp8$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.regulations.gov/document/NRC-2025-1237-0001__;!!KGKeukY!wYrr9HpiPIDFbIQL6GdB0Y95nj01gFH4PzbfcLU8SbJ5_d4UvYc837ORULrHxriRDym71iUb4_OyLYLLaSy8lvUh4xYqswqYxc1aUA$>

Another version is below with details about replacing ALARA with “determinate” levels. It’s very long so I haven’t compared the two yet.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-15/pdf/2026-14208.pdf?utm_campaign=subscription*mailing*list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov__;Kys!!KGKeukY!0OXuhh4YeC0UoAbvcVrO6qVJuJZjvLGmOsKCvq92R8TR4YNN4-m3JhF2Oi2fyIohK6mWyKS6oN5jjNMYSRZYlXbHJemMPGDlr9uTlKMc0ef8NMc$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-15/pdf/2026-14208.pdf?utm_campaign=subscription*mailing*list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov__;Kys!!KGKeukY!wYrr9HpiPIDFbIQL6GdB0Y95nj01gFH4PzbfcLU8SbJ5_d4UvYc837ORULrHxriRDym71iUb4_OyLYLLaSy8lvUh4xYqswo21poyxA$>

I assumed it would be awhile before agreement states followed suit, but one of my local regulators informed me that the states have been asked to expedite adoption of the NRC’s updates.

-Adam

================================
Adam C. Springer, MS, DABR®<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://myabr.theabr.org/*/certificate-public-reporting/P5911__;Iw!!KGKeukY!wYrr9HpiPIDFbIQL6GdB0Y95nj01gFH4PzbfcLU8SbJ5_d4UvYc837ORULrHxriRDym71iUb4_OyLYLLaSy8lvUh4xYqswoPuc4bHA$>, DABSNM<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.absnm.org/certification-verification.html*/certificate-public-reporting/ABSNM-2026-09__;Iw!!KGKeukY!wYrr9HpiPIDFbIQL6GdB0Y95nj01gFH4PzbfcLU8SbJ5_d4UvYc837ORULrHxriRDym71iUb4_OyLYLLaSy8lvUh4xYqswp3Ozs_xg$>, MRSE<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ibmrs.org/abmrs-credential-search-global/__;!!KGKeukY!wYrr9HpiPIDFbIQL6GdB0Y95nj01gFH4PzbfcLU8SbJ5_d4UvYc837ORULrHxriRDym71iUb4_OyLYLLaSy8lvUh4xYqswraWDXtkg$> (MRSC™)
Medical Physicist & CEO
KLS Physics Group, LLC
PO Box 700
Ruston, LA 71273
Office: 318-255-5033
Mobile: 318-272-8292
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