Healing arts: dietitians.

Existing law requires dietetic technicians, registered, to possess prescribed qualifications, including academic requirements, and makes it a misdemeanor for any person not meeting those requirements to use, in connection with his or her name or place of business, the term "dietetic technician, registered" or the letters "DTR." Existing law authorizes a registered dietitian, upon referral by a health care provider, to provide medical nutrition therapy, which includes, among other things, the development of nutritional and dietary treatments for individuals or groups of patients in specified settings. Existing law allows a dietetic technician, registered to assist the registered dietitian in these circumstances in the implementation or monitoring of medical nutrition therapy. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a registered dietitian, or other specified nutritional professionals, to practice in a manner inconsistent with these provisions. This bill would revise the qualifications required for a person representing himself or herself as a dietetic technician, registered and would require the dietetic technician, registered to have completed his or her course of study before assisting the registered dietitian. The bill would also make it a misdemeanor for any person not meeting those qualifications to use, in connection with his or her name or place of business, the term "registered dietitian nutritionist" or the letters "RDN." This bill would also allow a registered dietitian, under the above-described circumstances, or other nutritional professional who meets specified qualifications, to develop and recommend nutritional and dietary treatments, as provided, and would allow the registered dietitian or other nutritional professional to perform nutritional assessments and to initiate nutritional interventions pursuant to a licensed health care facility's approved nutrition screening policy and procedure, as provided. The bill would specify that these provisions do not authorize a registered dietitian, or other nutritional professional, to administer central vein or peripheral vein nutrition. This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes. By both expanding and changing the definition of existing crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.