This bill proposes significant updates to the current statutes regarding the licensing and practice of nutritionists in Arizona. It introduces new definitions such as "licensed dietitian nutritionist" and "medical nutrition therapy," and grants licensed dietitian nutritionists the authority to issue orders related to nutrition care. The bill also establishes qualifications for "qualified nutrition professionals" and outlines the responsibilities of the Department of Health Services in regulating these professionals. Additionally, it modifies existing language by replacing "registered dietitian" with "licensed dietitian nutritionist" and updates the licensing process to include new educational and practice requirements. Moreover, the bill sets forth new requirements for initial nutritionist license applicants, including the completion of a master's or doctoral degree and a structured supervised practice experience of at least one thousand hours. It also specifies that applicants must not have had licenses revoked or suspended in the past two years and must pass a relevant certification examination. The bill outlines the qualifications of supervisors for the supervised practice experience and establishes grounds for disciplinary actions against licensees. Lastly, it exempts the Department of Health Services from certain rulemaking requirements for one year and caps initial licensing fees.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 32-1901, 36-414, 36-416, 36-416.01, 36-3601, 13-3401, 32-1965, 32-1967, 32-1923, 32-1970, 32-1974, 36-2151, 32-1962, 32-1964, 36-422, 30-654, 32-1308, 32-1368, 32-2805, 36-405, 36-765.05, 36-766.06, 36-851.01, 36-882, 36-897.01, 36-1903, 36-2063, 36-4203, 35-190, 36-4201, 12-2801