HBA-MPM S.B. 1525 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1525
By: Madla
Public Health
5/2/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In 1983, under the Licensed Dietitian Act, the profession of dietetics was
licensed. This Act is administered by the Texas State Board of Examiners of
Dietitians (board), an independent state agency administratively attached
to the Texas Department of Health. Licensed dietitians provide services,
including nutrition assessments, planning, counseling, care management, and
evaluation as part of the health care delivery team, usually upon the order
or referral of a physician or other practitioner.  An individual wishing to
qualify for licensure must have a baccalaureate degree in nutrition,
dietetics, or a similar degree program from a regionally approved college
or university, a supervised internship under the supervision of a licensed
dietitian, and passed a state-administered or approved licensure
examination.  S.B. 1525  adds "medical nutrition therapy" to the services
provided by a licensed dietitian, and would authorize the board to
determine the qualifications of licensees that provide nutrition services.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 2, Article 4512h, V.T.C.S. (Licensed Dietitian
Act), to redefine "nutrition services" and to define "medical nutrition
therapy."  Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 6, Article 4512h, V.T.C.S., by adding Subsection
(d), to authorize the Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians (board)
to adopt procedures and standards necessary to determine the qualifications
of a person licensed under this Act to provide nutrition services under a
law administered by another state agency.  Provides that the board is the
only state agency authorized to determine the qualifications of a person
licensed under this Act to provide those services, notwithstanding any
other law or rule.  

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.