EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDE D TO EXISTING LAW .
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 330
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By: Senator Beidle
Introduced and read first time: January 12, 2024
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Board of Dietetic Practice – Dietician–Nutritionists – Licensure 2
Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of altering the educational requirements that an individual must meet to 4
be licensed as a dietician –nutritionist; and generally relating to 5
dietician–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
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 21
(b) “Board” means the State Board of Dietetic Practice. 22
(c) “Certified nutrition specialist” means an individual certified by the 23 2 SENATE BILL 330
[Certification] Board for CERTIFICATION OF Nutrition Specialists, the accrediting body 1
of the American [College of] Nutrition ASSOCIATION. 2
5–302. 3
(a) To qualify for a license, an applicant shall be an individual who meets the 4
requirements of this section. 5
(b) The applicant must be of good moral character. 6
(c) The applicant must be at least 18 years old. 7
(d) The applicant for licensure as a dietitian–nutritionist shall: 8
(1) (i) 1. Have satisfactorily completed academic requirements for 9
the field of dietetics as approved by the Board; and 10
2. Have received a [baccalaureate] MASTER’S degree from a 11
college or university accredited by an educational accrediting association recognized by the 12
Council on Higher Education and Accreditation; or 13
(ii) Have received a master’s or doctoral degree from a college or 14
university accredited by an educational accrediting association recognized by the Council 15
on Higher Education and Accreditation in nutritional sciences (with emphasis in human 16
nutrition), food and nutrition, dietetics, human nutrition, community nutrition, public 17
health nutrition, or equivalent training approved by the Board; 18
(2) Have satisfactorily completed a program of supervised clinical 19
experience approved by the Board; and 20
(3) (i) Submit to the Board proof of certification by the [Certification] 21
Board for [Nutritional] CERTIFICATION OF NUTRITION Specialists; or 22
(ii) Submit to the Board proof of registration with the Commission 23
on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 24
(e) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the applicant must pass an 25
examination approved by the Board under this subtitle. 26
(f) The applicant shall meet any other qualifications or requirements that the 27
Board establishes for license applicants. 28
5–305. 29
(a) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Board may waive an examination 30
requirement of this title for an individual who: 31
SENATE BILL 330 3
(1) Is licensed to practice dietetics in another state or country; 1
(2) Is registered to practice dietetics by the Commission on Dietetic 2
Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; or 3
(3) Is certified by the [Certification] Board for CERTIFICATION OF 4
Nutrition Specialists. 5
(b) The Board may grant a waiver under this section only if the applicant: 6
(1) Pays the application fee set by the Board under § 5–206 of this title; and 7
(2) Provides adequate evidence that the applicant: 8
(i) Meets the qualifications otherwise required by this subtitle; and 9
(ii) 1. Became licensed in the other state or country after 10
passing, in that state or country, an examination that the Board determines to be 11
comparable to the examination for which the applicant is seeking the waiver; 12
2. Became registered by the Commission on Dietetic 13
Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics after meeting the examination 14
waiver requirements of that Commission or its predecessor; or 15
3. Became certified by the [Certification] Board for 16
CERTIFICATION OF Nutrition Specialists after meeting the examination waiver 17
requirements of that Certification Board or its predecessor. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
1, 2024. 20