Oppose NJ A1582/S2625, Dietitian Nutritionist Licensing bill 2019

A1582 (S2625) broadly defines “dietetics/nutrition” and says only licensees will have the right to do anything within that broad definition, including providing “nutritional counseling and education.”  It does not contain proper exemptions for herbalists, naturopaths, nutritional consultants or holistic health coaches – or even parents on blogs or social media- who discuss and make recommendations about food and herbs all the time!  A1582 passed the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee, as amended, back in September 2018 and is currently in Assembly Appropriations.  S2625 is in the Senate Commerce Committee. 

There is no evidence that consumers are being harmed without the restrictive licensing scheme proposed by A1582/S2625 and so there is no constitutionally valid reason to make the “practice of dietetics/nutrition without a license” illegal.  Ask your legislators to empower individuals to explore, pursue, set, and reach their health and health-based vocational goals by protecting broad access to the tools – the nutrition information, services, and practitioners – they, not the government or private interests, deem important to their unique health journey.  Send a Message Now.

After you send a message, please call Members of the Appropriations Committee to ask them to vote note NO on A1582 (use the details in your Take Action confirmation page).  Then, share the Take Action link with as many NJ health freedom supporters you know so they can send messages of opposition to their personal legislators too.  Also, read this great article about the potentially devastating impacts of A1582 here.  Don’t let private interests dictate from whom you can receive nutritional education!  

Contacting your legislators: Legislators value the opinions and suggestions of their constituents.  Professional staff at their Trenton and district offices are prepared to respond to your requests for information about legislative matters or to arrange an in-person meeting with your legislator(s) to discuss an issue that’s important to you.  Please reach out to start building a relationship with them and their staff.  Consult this Roster of Members listing for district office addresses and phone numbers. To learn more about who represents you at the Federal, State, and County levels, click here.

Note: Because New Jersey is in its 2nd year of the 218^th legislature, if we can stop A1582 now, it’s done for the session and would have to start the entire process over again (i.e., introduce and get it through committee, etc.) in a future legislative session.  The New Jersey Legislature meets throughout the year and consists of two Houses: a 40-member Senate and an 80-member General Assembly. The Senate and Assembly chambers are located in the State House in Trenton.  Each legislative session is for a term of two years, split into two annual sessions. Because all business from the first year may be continued into the second, the distinction between the two annual sessions is more ceremonial than actual. The two-year legislative term begins in January of each even-numbered year. At the end of the second year, all unfinished business expires.  Click here to learn more about NJ Legislature.  Take Action Here.