EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0378*
HOUSE BILL 378
J2 4lr1323
CF SB 330
By: Delegate Guzzone
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2024
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Board of Dietetic Practice – Dietician–Nutritionists 2
Dietitian–Nutritionists – Licensure Application Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of altering the educational application requirements that an individual 4
must meet to be licensed as a dietician–nutritionist dietitian–nutritionist; and 5
generally relating to dietician–nutritionists dietitian–nutritionists. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Health Occupations 8
Section 5–101(a) and (b) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Health Occupations 13
Section 5–101(c), 5–302, and 5–305 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Health Occupations 19
5–101. 20 2 HOUSE BILL 378
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 1
(b) “Board” means the State Board of Dietetic Practice. 2
(c) “Certified nutrition specialist” means an individual certified by the 3
[Certification] Board for CERTIFICATION OF Nutrition Specialists, the accrediting body 4
of the American [College of] Nutrition ASSOCIATION. 5
5–302. 6
(a) To qualify for a license, an applicant shall be an individual who meets the 7
requirements of this section. 8
(b) The applicant must be of good moral character. 9
(c) The applicant must be at least 18 years old. 10
(d) The applicant for licensure as a dietitian–nutritionist shall: 11
(1) (i) 1. Have satisfactorily completed academic requirements for 12
the field of dietetics as approved by the Board; and 13
2. Have received AT A MINIMUM a [baccalaureate] 14
MASTER’S degree from a college or university accredited by an educational accrediting 15
association recognized by the Council on Higher Education and Accreditation AS 16
REQUIRED BY THE COMMISSION ON DIETETIC REGISTRATION ; or 17
(ii) Have received a master’s or doctoral degree from a college or 18
university accredited by an educational accrediting association recognized by the Council 19
on Higher Education and Accreditation in nutritional sciences (with emphasis in human 20
nutrition), food and nutrition, dietetics, human nutrition, community nutrition, public 21
health nutrition, or equivalent training approved by the Board; 22
(2) Have satisfactorily completed a program of supervised clinical 23
experience approved by the Board; and 24
(3) (i) Submit to the Board proof of certification by the [Certification] 25
Board for [Nutritional] CERTIFICATION OF NUTRITION Specialists; or 26
(ii) Submit to the Board proof of registration AS A DIETITIAN with 27
the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 28
(e) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the applicant must pass an 29
examination approved by the Board under this subtitle. 30
HOUSE BILL 378 3
(f) The applicant shall meet any other qualifications or requirements that the 1
Board establishes for license applicants. 2
5–305. 3
(a) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Board may waive an examination 4
requirement of this title for an individual who: 5
(1) Is licensed to practice dietetics in another state or country; 6
(2) Is registered to practice dietetics AS A DIETITIAN by the Commission 7
on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; or 8
(3) Is certified by the [Certification] Board for CERTIFICATION OF 9
Nutrition Specialists. 10
(b) The Board may grant a waiver under this section only if the applicant: 11
(1) Pays the application fee set by the Board under § 5–206 of this title; and 12
(2) Provides adequate evidence that the applicant: 13
(i) Meets the qualifications otherwise required by this subtitle; and 14
(ii) 1. Became licensed in the other state or country after 15
passing, in that state or country, an examination that the Board determines to be 16
comparable to the examination for which the applicant is seeking the waiver; 17
2. Became registered AS A DIETITIAN by the Commission on 18
Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics after meeting the 19
examination waiver requirements of that Commission or its predecessor; or 20
3. Became certified by the [Certification] Board for 21
CERTIFICATION OF Nutrition Specialists after meeting the examination waiver 22
requirements of that Certification Board or its predecessor. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2024. 25