Subcommittee approves updates to Dietetics Practice Act, clears path for interstate compact

A House regulatory subcommittee approved House Bill 185 to update Georgia's Dietetics Practice Act, narrow its scope toward medical nutrition therapy and authorize the state to join an interstate licensure compact for dietitians, supporters told the committee.

Sponsor testimony said the Dietetics Practice Act, enacted in 1994, needed modernization to reflect current education and practice standards and to expand licensure pathways. "It is a complex field," the bill sponsor said, and described the bill's aim "to kinda update it, bring it into a modern era with modern language, and to achieve a few different goals to provide pathways to licensure for more qualified, nutritionist."

Registered dietitian Robin Stegall, chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told the committee the bill contains substantial language to enable Georgia to join an interstate licensure compact. She read the bill's definition of medical nutrition therapy: "Medical nutrition therapy means the provision of any of the following nutrition care services for the treatment or management of a disease or medical condition. Nutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis, nutrition intervention, or nutrition monitoring and evaluation."

Supporters said the compact would ease mobility for practitioners, improve continuity of care across state lines and particularly benefit military spouses. The sponsor and witnesses described the compact as not yet fully implemented nationwide; one speaker said about four states were considering it and that being among the first seven participating states would give Georgia representation on the compact's governing board.

Jet Tony of the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics summarized the multiyear work behind the bill: "I've been blessed to be down here a couple of years, and I've I've not seen this much work go into a bill, except for maybe changing state constitution a a few decades ago." He said the organization sought to address concerns raised by earlier bills and to craft language acceptable to practitioners and the public.

The subcommittee moved and seconded a motion to advance the bill and approved it by voice vote; no roll call was recorded during the hearing. The bill will continue to the next committee stage for further consideration.