Initiatives of the FAND Public Policy Committee (PPC):

1. Increase legislative engagement at the grassroots level
2. Build positive relationships with others in the food, nutrition, and wellness industry
3. Increase member and non-member involvement in protecting our Florida Dietetics & Nutrition Practice Act and drive legislative awareness

Ways to Support Consumer Protection

1. Connect with your local legislators. State lawmakers need to hear from nutrition professionals like you who are experts in food, nutrition, and health. Become a champion for nutrition by gaining political influence, meeting with policymakers, speaking in public forums, and crafting effective messages. More resources are available on the Academy’s Advocacy page.

• • To find your State Senator and State Representative in your district, visit MyFloridaHouse.gov
  • Contact their office to schedule a meeting as a constituent.
  • Tell them what a licensed dietitian/nutritionist is and how we help Floridians.
  • For more guidance on how to connect with your Florida State Legislators click here.

2. Reach out to your District President. Network with other RDNs in your area who are interested in meeting with local leaders. Create a group to make a presentation and get to know your local representatives.

3. Report suspicious, potentially unlicensed activity. Our consumer protection efforts ensure that consumers are able to identify and access qualified professionals who demonstrate the knowledge, skill, and competency necessary to provide safe and ethical nutrition therapy in the state of Florida. As the public increasingly understands the importance of good nutrition, some individuals without any formal education, training or expertise in human nutrition or dietetics are exploiting this newly recognized market. It is up to us to recognize and report this behavior but also to report stories of success.

• • File a complaint with the Florida Department of Health
  • Document stories of success and reporting harm to the Academy’s Incident Reporting Tool

4. Donate to the FAND Political Action Committee Fund

• • Used for campaign contributions to political candidates likely to advance the
    interests of the dietetics profession

5. Donate to support FAND Lobbyists and Public Policy efforts

• • Enables FAND to continue funding our lobbyist group to ensure direct and active representation of our profession to Florida lawmakers
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Changes to the Florida Dietetics & Nutrition Practice Act in 2020

• • • Background: Our original Florida Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Act was established in 1988 and limited nutrition assessment and counseling for remuneration to licensed dietitians/nutritionists and nutrition counselors. The purpose is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Floridians. House Bill 1193 was signed into law on June 30, 2020, which was a large deregulation bill. The purpose of the bill was to increase jobs in Florida by deregulating licensure for many professions, including interior designers, hair braiders, auctioneers, and others. During the 2020 legislative session, licensed dietitians/nutritionists were added to this bill at the last minute. It should be noted, this bill did not go through any health committees for review. The original language on the bill, which would have changed our practice act to a title act, would allow anyone regardless of their education to provide nutrition counseling as long as they did not use a protected title. Through the efforts of FAND Leadership and our lobbyists, amended language was added later in the session, which maintained our practice act and aims to protect the most vulnerable clients.
    • What Changed: This new law allows for remuneration for nutrition information, wellness, recommendations, or advice from unlicensed individuals unless the client is under the direct care and supervision of a medical doctor for a disease or medical condition requiring nutrition intervention, except for obesity or weight loss.
    • What this means for you: There are no direct changes to the way you conduct your practice. Continue to report suspicious and potential unlicensed activity. If you’re not sure, report it. It is not the licensed dietitian/nutritionist’s job to decide what is and isn’t legal. The Florida Department of Health will conduct an investigation of reported complaints and will determine whether or not the activity was lawful.
    • Florida Statutes:
      • The Florida Statutes for Dietetics and Nutrition Practice
      • The 2020 amendment can be found in section 468.505, subsection (1), paragraph (n)