AB 440

This bill makes a number of changes to the regulation of dietitians.

Licensure and use of titles

Under current law, a person may be certified as a dietitian by the Dietitians

Affiliated Credentialing Board (board) in the Department of Regulation and

Licensing (DRL). With certain exceptions, current law prohibits a person who is not

certified by the board from designating himself or herself as a dietitian, claiming to

provide dietetic services, or using any title or initial that would represent that person

as certified or licensed as a dietitian or in a nutrition-related field.

This bill directs the board to license, not certify, persons as "dietitian

nutritionists." With certain exceptions, the bill prohibits a person who is not licensed

from practicing dietetics or nutrition care services. The bill also prohibits, with

certain exceptions, a person who is not licensed by the board from using certain titles

or initials.

"Dietitian" is defined under current law as an individual who practices

dietetics, which means, generally, using certain nutrition principles to achieve or

maintain the health and assess the nutritional needs of and provide nutritional

counseling to an individual or group of individuals.

This bill changes the title of the board to the Dietetics and Nutrition Care

Services Affiliated Credentialing Board. This bill changes the title of a person

licensed by the board from "dietitian" to "dietitian nutritionist." In the bill, a

dietitian nutritionist is a person who practices dietetics and nutrition care services.

The bill defines "dietetics and nutrition care services," generally, as the integration

and application of certain scientific principles to achieve and maintain optimal

human health. In the bill, the practice of dietetics and nutrition care services

includes assessing nutritional needs and dietetic and nutrition therapy and excludes

the retail sale of food products or vitamins.

Requirements for licensure by the board

Under current law, to be certified as a dietitian, a person must: 1) receive a

bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in certain nutrition fields from a college or

university that the board determines is accredited or receive a degree from a program

in nutrition approved by the board; 2) complete at least 900 supervised hours of

dietetics practice; and 3) pass the registration examination, or its equivalent,

established by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). A person who has satisfied

these educational and practice requirements and who has applied to take the next

available examination, may obtain a temporary dietitian certificate.

Under the bill, to be licensed as a dietitian nutritionist by the board, a person

must: 1) possess a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree granted from a regionally

accredited college or university and complete a didactic program in dietetics

approved by the ADA; 2) complete 900 supervised practice hours under a supervised

practice program accredited by the ADA; and 3) pass the registration examination