Regulation of Medical Nutrition Therapy

The bill creates the state board of dietetics and nutrition (board) under the supervision and control of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies The bill authorizes the director (director) of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies (division) to license dietitians and nutritionists if they meet the requirements specified by the bill and the rules adopted by the director pursuant to the bill. On and after September 1, 2026, an individual is prohibited from engaging in or offering to provide medical nutrition therapy unless the individual is licensed by the board. The board is authorized to license dietitians and nutritionists if they meet the requirements specified by the bill and the rules adopted by the board pursuant to the bill director. The bill creates the dietetics and nutrition advisory committee in the division, which is responsible for advising the director in the regulation of medical nutrition therapy and the implementation of the bill.

An individual who desires to practice as a dietitian must file with the board director:

• An application for a license;
• Proof of completion of educational requirements and supervised practice experience; and
• Proof of compliance with examination requirements or proof of holding a valid, current registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

An individual who desires to practice as a nutritionist must file with the board director:

• An application for a license;
• Proof of completion of educational requirements and supervised practice experience; and
• Proof of compliance with examination requirements.

On or after September 1, 2026, but before Until September 1, 2028, the board director may waive the examination requirement and may grant a nutritionist license to an applicant who meets specified criteria.

The board director may deny or refuse to renew a license, suspend or revoke a license, or impose probationary conditions on a license. The board director may also issue warnings to or reprimands where the seek injunctive relief against a licensee or applicant for licensure who has engaged in specified grounds for discipline or unprofessional conduct.

The board director may issue a provisional license to practice as a dietitian or a nutritionist upon the filing of an application with the appropriate fees, submission of evidence of successful completion of the educational and supervised practice requirements, and submission of evidence that the individual has applied to take the required licensing examination.

The bill exempts specified individuals from the licensing requirements established by the bill.

An individual who practices or offers or attempts to practice as a dietitian or nutritionist without being licensed pursuant to the bill and who is not exempted from licensure commits a class 2 misdemeanor.

The board director shall adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill.

The bill is scheduled for repeal on September 1, 2035. Before the repeal, the functions of the board director in regulating dietitians and nutritionists are scheduled for review in accordance with the sunset law. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $100,584 from the division of professions and occupations cash fund to the department of regulatory agencies to implement the bill.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)