Virginia HB 576: Dietitian Licensure Compact; authorizes Virginia to be a signatory to Compact.

Bill Text

2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26103203D

HOUSE BILL NO. 576

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 13, 2026

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 27.1 of Title 54.1 an article numbered 2, consisting of sections numbered 54.1-2732 through 54.1-2745, relating to Dietitian Licensure Compact.

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Patron—Glass

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Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 27.1 of Title 54.1 an article numbered 2, consisting of sections numbered 54.1-2732 through 54.1-2745, as follows:

Article 2.

INTERSTATE DIETITIAN LICENSURE COMPACT.

§ 54.1-2732. Purpose.

The General Assembly hereby enacts, and the Commonwealth of Virginia hereby enters into, the Dietitian Licensure Compact with any and all states legally joining therein according to its terms, in the form substantially as follows:

DIETITIAN LICENSURE COMPACT.

The purpose of this Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of dietetics with the goal of improving public access to dietetics services. This Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure, while also providing for licensure portability through a Compact privilege granted to qualifying professionals.

This Compact is designed to achieve the following objectives:

1. Increase public access to dietetics services;

2. Provide opportunities for interstate practice by licensed dietitians who meet uniform requirements;

3. Eliminate the necessity for licenses in multiple states;

4. Reduce administrative burden on member states and licensees;

5. Enhance the states' ability to protect the public's health and safety;

6. Encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate practice of licensed dietitians;

7. Support relocating active military members and their spouses;

8. Enhance the exchange of licensure, investigative, and disciplinary information among member states; and

9. Vest all member states with the authority to hold a licensed dietitian accountable for meeting all state practice laws in the state in which the patient is located at the time care is rendered.

§ 54.1-2733. Definitions.

As used in this Compact, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions shall apply:

"ACEND" means the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics or its successor organization.

"Active military member" means any individual with full-time duty status in the active armed forces of the United States, including members of the National Guard and Reserve.

"Adverse action" means any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action permitted by a state's laws which is imposed by a licensing authority or other authority against a licensee, including actions against an individual's license or Compact privilege such as revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee, limitation on the licensee's practice, or any other encumbrance on licensure affecting a licensee's authorization to practice, including issuance of a cease and desist action. 

"Alternative program" means a non-disciplinary monitoring or practice remediation process approved by a licensing authority.

"Charter member state" means any member state which enacted this Compact by law before the effective date specified in § 54.1-2743.

"Continuing education" means a requirement, as a condition of license renewal, to provide evidence of participation in, and completion of, educational and professional activities relevant to practice or area of work.

"CDR" means the Commission on Dietetic Registration or its successor organization.

"Compact Commission" means the government agency whose membership consists of all states that have enacted this Compact, which is known as the Dietitian Licensure Compact Commission, as described in § 54.1-2739, and which shall operate as an instrumentality of the member states.

"Compact privilege" means a legal authorization, which is equivalent to a license, permitting the practice of dietetics in a remote state.

"Current significant investigative information" means:

1. Investigative information that a licensing authority, after a preliminary inquiry that includes notification and an opportunity for the subject licensee to respond, if required by state law, has reason to believe is not groundless and, if proved true, would indicate more than a minor infraction; or

2. Investigative information that indicates that the subject licensee represents an immediate threat to public health and safety regardless of whether the subject licensee has been notified and had an opportunity to respond.

"Data system" means a repository of information about licensees, including continuing education, examination, licensure, investigative, Compact privilege, and adverse action information.

"Encumbered license" means a license in which an adverse