45:16B-9 Eligibility for licensure.

9. a. To be eligible to be licensed as a dietitian nutritionist, an applicant shall be at least 18 years of age; be of good moral character; and submit a completed application as required by the board, and submit any fees as required by the board. The applicant shall meet one of the following criteria: provide evidence of current, valid registration as a registered dietitian nutritionist with the Commission on Dietetic Registration; or submit proof of completion for all of the following educational, supervised practice experience, and examination requirements:

(1) the applicant has received a baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degree with a major course of study in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, dietetics, food systems management, nutrition education, nutrition, nutrition science, clinical nutrition, applied clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition and functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and integrative health, or an equivalent course of study from:

(a) a college or university accredited at the time of graduation from the appropriate regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the federal Department of Education and that, as approved by the Board, meets the competency requirements of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics accredited didactic program in dietetics; or

(b) has an academic degree from a foreign country that has been validated as equivalent to the baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States by a credential evaluation agency recognized by the federal Department of Education and that, as approved by the board, meets the competency requirements of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics accredited didactic program in dietetics;

(2) the applicant has successfully completed a planned clinical program in an approved practice of dietetics and nutrition that, as approved by the board, meets the competency requirements of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics accredited supervised practice experience of not less than 1,200 hours under the supervision of a dietitian nutritionist licensed in this State or licensed, registered, or certified in any other state having requirements for licensure, registration, or certification substantially similar to licensure requirements in this State, as approved by the board; or a registered dietitian nutritionist registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Supervisors who obtained their doctoral degree outside the United States and its territories must have their degrees validated as equivalent to the doctoral degree conferred by a United States regionally accredited college or university by a credential evaluation agency recognized by the federal Department of Education; and

(3) the applicant has passed the registration examination for dietitian nutritionists administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, which shall be held by the board at least twice a year and may be administered by a national testing service, as determined by the board.

b. To be eligible to be licensed as a nutritionist, an applicant shall be at least 18 years of age; be of good moral character; submit a completed application as required by the board, submit any fees as required by the board, and submit proof of completion of the following educational, supervised practice experience, and examination requirements:

(1) the applicant has received a master's or doctoral nutrition degree or, has an academic degree, from a foreign country, that has been validated as equivalent to the masters or doctoral degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States by a credential evaluation agency recognized by the federal Department of Education, with a major in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, community nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition education, nutrition, nutrition science, clinical nutrition, applied clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition and functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and integrative health, or a comparable titled major, or master's or doctoral degree or validated foreign equivalent, in a field of clinical health care from a college or university accredited at the time of graduation from the appropriate regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education, and has completed coursework leading to competence in medical nutrition therapy, which includes, but may not be limited to, the following content areas:

(a) 15 semester hours of clinical or life sciences, at least three semester hours must be in human anatomy and physiology or the equivalent;

(b) (i) 15 semester hours of nutrition and metabolism, at least six semester hours must be in biochemistry;

(ii) the applicant must have completed a board approved internship or a documented, supervised practice experience in nutrition care services and the provision of medical nutrition therapy of not less than 1000 hours involving at least 200 hours of nutrition assessment, 200 hours of nutrition intervention, education, counseling or management, and 200 hours of nutrition monitoring or evaluation under the supervision of a Certified Nutrition Specialist, a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board Of Nutrition, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, a licensed dietitian nutritionist or a licensed nutritionist in this State, a State licensed health care provider whose scope of practice includes the provision of nutrition care services for the purpose of treatment or management of disease or medical condition, or an individual with a doctoral degree conferred by a United States regionally accredited college or university with a major course of study in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, dietetics, nutrition education, nutrition, nutrition science, clinical nutrition, applied clinical nutrition, nutrition counseling, nutrition and functional medicine, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and integrative health, or an equivalent course of study, with a reasonable threshold of academic credits in nutrition and nutrition sciences as described in this section. For purposes of this subparagraph, a supervisor shall be licensed in this State if supervising an applicant providing medical nutrition therapy to an individual located in this State. Supervisors who obtained their doctoral degree outside the United States and its territories must have their degrees validated as equivalent to the doctoral degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States by a credential evaluation agency recognized by the federal Department of Education. The applicant shall complete this documented, supervised practice experience within five years of completing the academic requirements specified in this section, but the board, in its discretion, may grant a limited extension to this time frame in the event of extraordinary circumstances, which may include consideration for individuals who have been legally providing medical nutrition therapy in another jurisdiction; and

(iii) The applicant meets one of the following examination criteria:

the applicant has successfully passed either the examination administered by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists or the examination administered by the American Clinical Board of Nutrition; or

the applicant has either a valid current certification with the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists that gives the applicant the right to use the term "Certified Nutrition Specialist" or "CNS" or a valid current certification with the American Clinical Board of Nutrition that gives the applicant the right to use the term "Diplomate, American Clinical Board of Nutrition" or "DACBN."

L.2019, c.331, s.9.