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In the
state of California, the California Dietetic Association (CDA)
was formed in 1924-1925. CDA discussed licensure for dietitians
and sent recommendations to ADA for study and action in 1926,
1942, 1946 and 1960. No action was taken.
From
1978-1980, CDA evaluated options to gain legal recognition
for Registered Dietitians (RDs), and in 1980, CDA chose
to pursue Title Act legislation as a first step towards
licensure of dietitians.
In 1982,
CDA sponsored successful legislation to create the Dietitian
Title Act which went into effect 1/1/83 as California
Business & Professions Code Sections 2585-2586. It established a
required identity for the RD of education, internship,
examination and continuing education, as well as a scope of
practice to provide nutrition assessment, nutrition counseling,
and nutrition treatments for those with illnesses and diseases
when referred by a health care professional who can refer for
nutrition services. (That is a physician and surgeon,
physician’s assistant, dentist, and osteopathic physician.)
In 1987,
CDA sponsored the unsuccessful Assembly Bill 2369 which called
for the licensing and regulation of dietitians and dietetic
technicians with a definition for "nutritionist." The bill was
dropped due to extensive organized opposition.
In 1988,
CDA sponsored the unsuccessful Senate Bill 2078 which was a
rewritten licensing law for dietitians and dietetic technicians. An Interim Hearing was held 11/30/88 on this topic. CDA filed an
extensive justification document with the Department of Consumer
Affairs (DCA) 11/9/1988, but did not convince DCA of the need
for licensing dietitians.
In 1999,
a CDA Task Force explored ways to update and improve the RD
scope of practice. In 2000 and 2001, CDA gathered member
input and evaluated how CDA could best improve the RD scope of
practice, help identify, legally, the DTR, and how best to focus
future CDA legislation. Member input from all units indicated
that members were unwilling to pay the estimated $350/year for
state licensed status.
In 2001,
CDA sponsored the successful Assembly Bill 1444 to modernize the
RD scope of practice, clarify the scope of practice for the
"other nutrition professional" (defined in 1995 as those with
Masters or higher degrees in clinical nutrition from US Dept.
Education regionally accredited colleges/universities, who's
individual qualifications must be validated by the referring
MD - please note they can only accept referrals with validation
from an MD. AB 1444 also added a DTR definition of education,
training, duties, and supervision by the RD. AB 1444 went into
effect 1/1/2002 and is found added to CA Business &
Professions Code Sections 2585-2586.
State
legislation, Senate Bill 1642, sponsored by the California
Nurses’ Association in 2002 sought in a 4/11/2002
amendment to delete the modernization of the RD scope of
practice passed into state law via AB 1444. CDA was opposed to
the 4/11 version of this bill. The Senate Business & Professions
Committee passed SB 1642 with a compromise amendment of
5/15/2002 developed jointly by the California Nurses’
Association and the California Dietetic Association. CDA has a
neutral position on the 5/15 version of SB 1642. This bill has
passed the Senate; it currently has a double assignment to the
Assembly Business & Professions and the Assembly Health
Committees.
AB769
(Maddox) was sponsored by CDA in 2003 to address a gap in
state law concerning allowable practice by dietetics students in
supervised practice programs. AB769 was signed into state law on
July 15, 2003 and went into effect on January 1, 2004. Students
and new graduates of Dietetic Internships, Coordinated Programs
and Dietetic Technician, Registered programs are covered by the
new language in the law.
CDA has no
current plans to pursue licensing in California. CDA membership
is not supportive of the annual fees necessary to support
licensure and the political climate in California is opposed to
additional licensing boards.
Revised January 2005 |
Government Affairs ::
Historical Consideration of
Licensure :: Revised January 2005