(a) Any person representing himself or herself as a registered dietitian shall meet one of the following qualifications:

(1) Been granted, prior to January 1, 1981, the right to use the term “registered dietitian” by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Public Health as qualified to grant the title, provided that person continues to meet all requirements and qualifications periodically prescribed by the agency or institution for the maintenance of that title.

(2) Possess all of the following qualifications:

(A) Be 18 years of age or older.

(B) Satisfactory completion of appropriate academic requirements for the field of dietetics and related disciplines and receipt of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or other regional accreditation agency.

(C) Satisfactory completion of a program of supervised practice for a minimum of 900 hours that is designed to prepare entry level practitioners through instruction and assignments in a clinical setting. Supervisors of the program shall meet minimum qualifications established by public or private agencies or institutions recognized by the State Department of Public Health to establish those qualifications.

(D) Satisfactory completion of an examination administered by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Public Health as qualified to administer the examinations.

(E) Satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements established by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Public Health to establish the requirements.

(b) Any person representing himself or herself as a dietetic technician, registered shall possess all of the following qualifications:

(1) Be 18 years of age or older.

(2) Satisfactory completion of either of the following:

(A) Appropriate academic requirements for dietetic technicians, registered, receipt of an associate’s degree or higher from a college or university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or other regional accreditation agency, and at least 450 hours of supervised practice experience. Supervisors of practice experiences shall meet the minimum qualifications established by public or private agencies or institutions recognized by the State Department of Public Health to establish the qualifications.

(B) Appropriate academic requirements for the field of dietetics and related disciplines and receipt of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or other regional accreditation agency.

(3) Satisfactory completion of an examination administered by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Public Health to administer the examination.

(4) Satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements established by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Public Health to establish the requirements.

(c) It is a misdemeanor for any person not meeting the criteria of subdivision (a) or (b) to use, in connection with his or her name or place of business, the words “dietetic technician, registered,” “dietitian,” “dietician,” “registered dietitian,” “registered dietician,” “registered dietitian nutritionist,” or the letters “RD,” “RDN,” “DTR,” or any other words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia indicating or implying that the person is a dietitian, dietetic technician, registered, registered dietitian, or registered dietitian nutritionist or to represent, in any way, orally, in writing, in print or by sign, directly or by implication, that he or she is a dietitian, a dietetic technician, registered, a registered dietitian, or a registered dietitian nutritionist.

(d) Any person employed by a licensed health care facility as a registered dietitian on the effective date of this chapter may continue to represent himself or herself as a registered dietitian while employed by a licensed health care facility, if he or she has satisfied the requirements of either paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), except that he or she shall not be required to satisfy the examination requirement of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).

(e) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation that limits reimbursement to state licensed health care providers and upon referral by a physician and surgeon, the following persons may be reimbursed for the nutritional advice or advice concerning proper nutrition as set forth in Section 2068, or for the nutritional assessments, counseling, and treatments as set forth in Section 2586:

(1) Registered dietitians.

(2) Other nutritional professionals with a master’s or higher degree in a field covering clinical nutrition sciences, from a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation agency, who are deemed qualified to provide these services by the referring physician and surgeon.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mandate direct reimbursement of registered dietitians, or other nutrition professionals described in subdivision (e), as a separate provider type under the Medi-Cal program, nor to mandate reimbursement where expressly prohibited by federal law or regulation.

(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 622, Sec. 1. (SB 993) Effective January 1, 2015.)