33-47-106. Licensure; application; qualifications; issuance and revocation of licenses; fees; temporary permits.

(a) An applicant for a license to practice dietetics shall submit to the board written evidence, verified by oath, that the applicant:

(i) Has received a baccalaureate or post baccalaureate degree from a United States regionally accredited college or university with a major course of study in human nutrition, nutrition education, public health nutrition, food and nutrition, dietetics, food systems management or an equivalent major course of study as approved by the board. Applicants who have obtained a degree outside of the United States and its territories shall have their academic degree validated by the board as equivalent to the same degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States;

(ii) Has completed a documented supervised preprofessional practice experience component in dietetics of not less than nine hundred (900) hours under the supervision of a registered dietitian, a licensed dietitian 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, nutrition education, food and nutrition, dietetics or food systems management;

(iii) Has successfully completed the registration examination for dietitians administered by the commission or an examination of an equivalent level approved by the board;

(iv) Has reached the age of majority; and

(v) Has not been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor that relates adversely to the practice of dietetics, or the ability to practice dietetics, in the courts of this state, another jurisdiction or another country. As used in this paragraph, "conviction" includes a finding or verdict of guilt, an admission of guilt, a plea of nolo contendere, a plea agreement in which the defendant has pled guilty yet not admitted to all the facts that comprise the crime or a conditional plea as part of a deferred prosecution or deferred sentencing agreement.

(b) Until June 30, 2012, the board shall waive the examination required by subsection (a) of this section and shall grant a license to any applicant who:

(i) Makes satisfactory application to the board and is registered with the commission; or

(ii) Received a baccalaureate or post baccalaureate degree from a United States regionally accredited college or university with a program in dietetics or an equivalent major course of study as approved by the board and who has completed a board approved practical experience and met the educational requirements for registration by the commission or its equivalent.

(c) If an applicant fails to complete the requirements for licensing within one (1) year from the date of filing an application, the application shall be deemed to be abandoned.

(d) The board may issue a temporary permit to practice dietetics for a period of six (6) months to an applicant for licensing, provided:

(i) The applicant is currently practicing or has within the last twelve (12) months practiced as a licensed dietitian in another state, territory or country that required licensure of dietitians;

(ii) The applicant is currently practicing or has within the last twelve (12) months practiced as a registered dietitian in another state, territory or country that did not require licensure of dietitians; or

(iii) The applicant is a student in a commission approved dietetics education program who expects to graduate within thirty (30) calendar days of the application filing date. Upon notification that a student in an approved program who has received a temporary permit under this section fails to successfully complete the program, the permit shall immediately expire.

(e) On payment of an additional fee established pursuant to W.S. 33-47-105(a)(v), the board may extend a permit to practice dietetics for an additional period not to exceed six (6) months from the date of issuance of the original permit.

(f) Upon payment of a fee established pursuant to W.S. 33-47-105(a)(v), the board shall issue a license to practice dietetics to an applicant who was a dietitian registered prior to July 1, 2011 by the commission or its equivalent.

(g) Unless licensed to practice under this act, no person shall represent himself to the public as being a dietitian or a licensed dietitian. Only a person holding a license to practice dietetics in this state may use the title "licensed dietitian" or the abbreviation "LD" to indicate that the person is a licensed dietitian.