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Committee advances dietitian licensure compact bill to ease practice across state lines
Summary
House Bill 1185, sponsored by Rep. Lee Johnson, would allow Arkansas dietitians to join an interstate compact to practice across state lines; proponents said the change would help telehealth and relocating military spouses.
State Representative Lee Johnson, District 47, presented House Bill 1185 and introduced several dietitians who described the bill as a way to join an interstate dietetic licensure compact that would permit license portability and facilitate telehealth.
Dania Arnold, identified as a registered dietitian and president of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Leslie Jones, a registered dietitian and public policy representative, told the committee the compact would reduce the time and expense of obtaining multiple state licenses and would improve access to care in underserved border communities. “We have many dietitians now doing telehealth, that have to apply and wait for multiple licensures that can be be expensive and take a lot of time,” Arnold said. Witnesses also noted the compact could help relocating military spouses.
Representative Richardson asked whether the compact includes a fee; the sponsor said he had not added any fee and that he believed the compact model typically does not require adding a fee in state statute. The committee held no public opposition testimony in the record and advanced the bill by a voice vote after a do-pass motion.
Committee members said the compact mirrors similar interstate arrangements already enacted by other states and would provide a pathway for Arkansas dietitians to practice across state lines, particularly for telehealth services.
