The purpose of the act §225 ILCS 30/
is stated in Sec. 5
The practice of dietetics and nutrition, including the provision of medical
nutrition therapy, in the State of Illinois is hereby declared to aect the public
health, safety, and welfare and to be subject to regulation and control in the public
interest. It is further declared that the practice of dietetics and nutrition plays an
important part in the attainment and maintenance of health and that it is in the
public’s best interest that persons who present themselves as providers of nutrition
care meet specic requirements and qualications. This Act shall be liberally
construed to best carry out these objectives and purposes.
What can licensed individuals do under this bill?
The primary role of the qualied licensee is to provide medical nutrition therapy
(MNT) and other nutrition care services. Medical nutrition therapy means
nutrition care services provided for the treatment or
management of a disease or medical condition. MNT
is commonly provided to individuals with diseases
such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity,
cancer, hypertension, kidney disease, celiac disease or
other food and nutrition-related medical conditions
(e.g., food allergies, eating disorders or pre-diabetes).
Individuals licensed under this bill are able to translate evidence-based information
into layman’s terms to enable individuals to take actionable steps to positively impact
disease management or to treat or rehabilitate an illness, injury, or condition.
How does §225 ILCS 30/ support jobs?
The proposed bill:
Exempts from licensure any individual “providing nutrition
information, nutrition recommendations, health coaching,
holistic and wellness education, guidance, motivation,
behavior change management, weight control, or other
nutrition care services, provided that they do not constitute
medical nutrition therapy ... and that the individual does
not hold themself out as licensed or qualied to practice
dietetics and nutrition or a provider of medical nutrition
therapy ... or otherwise violate...[the] Act”
Allows trainers and health coaches to help individuals
with prediabetes or obesity control their weight as part of
a multidisciplinary team, including at YMCAs, for-prot
weight loss centers, and through Diabetes Prevention
Programs
Allows unlicensed individuals to provide nutrition care
services to family members without remuneration
Continues to allow individuals to sell and furnish
information about dietary supplements without a license
and adds the ability to do so with herbs to that exemption
Ensures unlicensed individuals working under the direct
supervision of licensees can aid in the provision of MNT
Support House Bill HB 3585
Modernizing Illinois Licensed
Dietitian Nutritionist
Practice Act
The primary role
is to provide
medical nutrition
therapy (MNT)
and other nutrition
care services.
BILL HIGHLIGHTS
Clarifies and expands interdisciplinary
role of unlicensed persons, such as health
coaches and trainers, in nutrition and
weight control
Updates nomenclature of licenses to
reflect different pathways and standardized
terminology
Facilitates telehealth to provide additional
opportunities for the citizens of Illinois to
access and provide safe and effective care
Allows the board to provide guidance
explaining what unlicensed individuals may
do under this law
contact: headquar[email protected]g
4,185 LDNs
IN ILLINOIS
Licensees QUALIFIED to Provide
Medical Nutrition Therapy
1. Must meet stringent education requirements from a U.S. regionally
accredited university or validated foreign equivalent with either (a) Completion
of a bachelor’s degree or above meeting the gold standard of an academic
program in dietetics and nutrition accredited by the Accreditation Council
for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) that prepares one to be a
registered dietitian nutritionist OR (b) Completion of a master’s or doctorate in
nutrition as specied in §ILCS 30/20.
2. Must complete board-approved supervised practice experience that either
(a) Meets ACEND’s rigorous accreditation standards providing comptencies
necessary to prepare one to practice as a registered dietitian nutritionist through
internships in a variety of clinical settings OR (b) Is a board-approved internship
or a documented, supervised practice experience in nutrition services of not less
than 1000 hours demonstrating competency in nutrition care and the provision of
medical nutrition therapy (with additional requirements outlined in §ICLS 30/46).
3. Must pass a comprehensive examination from a certication program accredited
by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Registered dietitian
nutritionists and other qualied nutrition professionals adhere to professional
codes of ethics referenced in Title 68 of Illinois Professional Regulation.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF
MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY
IS BEING PROVIDED?
One would not unlawfully engage in the practice of dietetics
and nutrition under this bill unless that person provides
medical nutrition therapy in the context of a professional-
client relationship. It is neither the purpose of this bill nor the
intent of its proponents to restrict the expression of general
information, guidance or encouragement about food, lifestyle
or dietary practices, whether through general publication—
including books, television, radio, articles or website posts—or
in one-on-one interactions. Thus, individuals are permitted to
express information, guidance or encouragement about food,
lifestyle or dietary practices to the public generally and to any
willing and competent adult listener directly without rst
obtaining a license so long as they do not hold themselves out
as a dietitian nutritionist or nutrition specialist and they do not
provide such information, guidance or encouragement as part
of a professional-client relationship formed to assess individual
nutritional needs and provide medical nutrition therapy to treat
or manage a disease or medical condition.
There are large and
IMPORTANT
DIFFERENCES
in nutrition education
and training
of licensees
Individuals
NOT QUALIFIED
to Provide Medical
Nutrition Therapy
Many organizations market a variety of nutrition courses
providing tness professionals, health coaches, and others the
opportunity to enhance their nutrition knowledge and earn
various credentials, certicates/certications, online diplomas,
or titles. Many of these programs advise applicants to review
their state laws to determine what nutrition services can legally
be oered once the advertised credential is earned. Under
existing Section 15, in order to practice dietetics and/or
nutrition in Illinois, one must currently be licensed unless
otherwise exempt.
An unaccredited certicate or diploma, standing alone, is
insucient to authorize a person to practice dietetics and/or
nutrition in Illinois, but provisions in the proposed law would
newly allow them to provide certain non-medical nutrition care
services. Individuals would need to continue meeting specied
standards and obtain a license to provide nutrition care services
to manage or treat a disease or medical condition or use a title
indicating that one is licensed or qualied to practice, unless
otherwise exempt.