HB185: HB185 Professions and businesses; repeal and reenact Chapter 11A, the Dietetics Practice Act

Georgia currently licenses dietitians but has no comparable license for nutritionists. This bill repeals and rewrites Chapter 11A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to create two distinct, regulated titles: licensed dietitian and licensed nutritionist. Licensed dietitians, who need a master's or doctoral degree, 1,000 supervised hours, and a national exam, can treat both complex and noncomplex medical conditions, including therapy delivered through feeding tubes or IV nutrition. Licensed nutritionists, who need a related master's degree, specific coursework, 1,000 supervised hours, and a certification exam, can only treat noncomplex, stable conditions in lower acuity outpatient settings. The bill renames the state licensing board to include nutritionists, sets rules for discipline and fines up to $500 per violation, lists who is exempt from licensure (such as health food store employees giving general advice), and lets Georgia join the Dietitian Licensure Compact, an interstate agreement letting licensed dietitians practice across member states. It also updates dozens of cross-references to 'dietitian' and 'nutritionist' throughout other Georgia codes. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Creates a new licensed nutritionist credential separate from licensed dietitian, with its own education, supervised practice, and exam requirements.
• Renames the state licensing board to the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians and Licensed Nutritionists and expands its membership to nine, including a nutritionist and a physician.
• Limits licensed nutritionists to treating only stable, noncomplex medical conditions in lower acuity outpatient settings, while dietitians can treat complex conditions and use feeding tubes or IV nutrition.
• Lets the board fine violators up to $500 per violation and suspend, revoke, or restrict licenses for offenses like fraud, felony convictions, or unprofessional conduct.
• Authorizes Georgia to join the Dietitian Licensure Compact, letting dietitians licensed in other member states practice in Georgia and vice versa.
• Requires the board to run FBI fingerprint background checks on license applicants and makes it a misdemeanor to falsely use protected titles like 'dietitian' or 'licensed nutritionist.'

Licensed dietitians and the new category of licensed nutritionists, applicants seeking either license, the state licensing board, hospitals and clinics that employ these practitioners, health food store employees, wellness coaches, out-of-state dietitians seeking to practice in Georgia via the compact, and patients receiving nutrition-related medical care.

Georgians seeking nutrition counseling or medical nutrition therapy would see a clearer distinction between what a licensed dietitian and a licensed nutritionist can legally do, especially for serious conditions like organ failure or dialysis. Out-of-state dietitians could more easily practice in Georgia through the compact, potentially expanding access to care.

• Section 43-11A-3 defines complex and noncomplex medical conditions, drawing the line between what licensed dietitians and licensed nutritionists may treat.
• Section 43-11A-10 sets separate education, supervised-practice-hour, and examination requirements for dietitians (subsection b) and nutritionists (subsection d).
• Section 43-11A-15 authorizes the board to fine, suspend, revoke, or restrict licenses and caps fines at $500 per violation.
• Section 43-11A-16 protects the titles 'dietitian,' 'licensed dietitian,' and 'licensed nutritionist' and makes misuse a misdemeanor.
• Section 43-11A-18 lists exemptions from licensure, including supervisees, government employees, health food store staff giving general advice, and out-of-state practitioners using telehealth under limited conditions.
• Article 2 establishes the Dietitian Licensure Compact, creating a Compact Commission and letting licensed dietitians practice across member states without obtaining a separate license in each.
• Part II updates references to 'dietitian' and 'nutritionist' across Titles 9, 31, 33, 43, and 51 to match the new licensing categories.
• Section 3-1 makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 436
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-18House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2026-03-12Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-03-12Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-02-06Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)

• Ginny Ehrhart (R, HD-036)Primary sponsor
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   171 yea, 2 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #199

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 12, 2026

   42 yea, 3 nay (4 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #710

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 18, 2026

   155 yea, 8 nay (4 not voting, 9 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #718

• dietitian licensing
• nutritionist licensing
• medical nutrition therapy
• occupational licensing
• interstate licensing compact