Kansas Licensure Law
In 1989 Kansas amended its statutes and passed a licensure law which regulates and defines the scope of practice in nutrition. An individual must be licensed as a dietitian within the state to practice dietetics.Dietetics practice is defined as the integration and application of principles derived from the sciences of nutrition, biochemistry, food, physiology, management and behavioral and social sciences to achieve and maintain the health of people through: assessing the nutritional needs of clients; establishing priorities, goals and objectives that meet nutritional needs of clients; and advising and assisting individuals or groups on appropriate nutritional intake by integrating information from a nutritional assessment with information on food and other sources of nutrients and meal preparation.
Exceptions:
a. Nothing in the act shall be construed to require any insurer or other entity regulated under chapter 40 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated or any other law of this state to provide coverage for or indemnify for the services provided by a person licensed under this act.
b. So long as the following persons do not hold themselves out to the public to be dietitians or licensed dietitians or use these titles in combination with other titles or use the abbreviation L.D., or any combination thereof, nothing in this act shall be construed to apply:
1. To any person licensed to practice the healing arts, a licensed dentist, a licensed dental hygienist, a licensed professional nurse, a licensed practical nurse, a licensed psychologist, a registered masters level psychologist, a licensed pharmacist or an employee therof, a physician’s assistant, a registered professional counselor;
2. To any unlicensed employee or a licensed adult care home or a licensed medical care facility as long as such person is working under the general direction of a licensee in the healing arts, nursing or a dietetic services supervisor as defined in regulations adopted by the secretary of health and environment or a consultant licensed under this act;
3. To any dietetic technician or dietetic assistant;
4. To any student enrolled in an approved academic program in dietetics, home economics, nutrition education or other like curriculum, while engaged in such academic program;
5. To prevent any person, including persons employed in health food stores, from furnishing nutrition information as to the use of food, food materials or dietary supplements, nor to prevent in any way the free dissemination of information or of literature as long as no individual engaged in such practice hold oneself out as being licensed under this act;
6. To prohibit any individual from marketing or distributing food products, including dietary supplements, or to prevent any such person from providing information to customers regarding the use of such products;
7. To prevent any employee of the state or a political subdivision who is employed in nutrition related programs from engaging in activities included within the definition of dietetics practice as part of such person’s employment;
8. To any person who performs the activities and services of a licensed dietitian or nutrition educator as an employee of the state or a political subdivision, an elementary or secondary school, an educational institution, a licensed institution, or a not-for-profit organization;
9. To any person serving in the armed forces, the public health service, the veterans administration or as an employee of the federal government.
10. To any person who has a degree in home economics insofar as the activities of such person are within the scope of such person’s education and training;
11. To any person who counsels or provides weight-control services as a part of a franchised or recognized weight-control program or a weight-control program that operates under the general direction of a person licensed to practice the healing arts, nursing or a person under this act;
12. To any person who is acting as a representative of a trade association and who engages in one or more activities included within the practice of dietetics as a representative of such association;
13. To a registered physical therapist who makes a dietetic or nutritional assessment or gives dietetic or nutritional advice in the normal practice of such person’s profession or as otherwise authorized by law;
14. To a dietitian licensed, registered or otherwise authorized to practice dietetics in another state who is providing consultation in this state;
15. To any such person conducting a teaching clinical demonstration which is carried out in an educational institution or an affiliated clinical facility or health care agency;
16. To any person conducting classes or disseminating information relating to non-medical nutrition; or
17. To any person permitted to practice under K.S.A. 65-2872A and amendments thereto.
c. Nothing in this act shall be construed to interfere with the religious practices or observances of a bona fide religious organization, nor to prevent any person from caring for the sick in accordance with tenets and practices of any church or religious denomination which teaches reliance upon spiritual means through prayer for healing.
SINCE THIS STATE HAS LICENSURE LAWS, IT IS ASSUMED TO BE ILLEGAL TO PROVIDE ANY NUTRITION SERVICES WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF A LICENSED DIETITIAN.
ALL NUTRITION MANAGER CONSULTANTS SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES TO CONFER WITH AN AASDN PROFESSIONAL.
Although every attempt has been made to summarize the state licensure statutes, to provide health professionals with accurate statements regarding individual state regulations, Lifestyle Management Associates cannot guarantee that all information is current at all points in time, and cannot guarantee or be held responsible for any misinterpretations of the law. Every attempt has been made to persuade all allied health professionals to associate with registered, licensed dietitians.
For more detailed information on the licensure laws of this state and to obtain state licensure agency contact information visit www.cdrnet.org/certifications/licensure/index.htm.
