Public Act 0148 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1229 Enrolled LRB098 08150 MGM 38243 b

Public Act 098-0148

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act is amended by changing Sections 10 and 95 and by adding Section 17 as follows:

(225 ILCS 30/10) (from Ch. 111, par. 8401-10)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2023)

Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Address of record" means the designated address recorded by the Department in the applicant's or licensee's application file or license file as maintained by the Department's licensure maintenance unit. It is the duty of the applicant or licensee to inform the Department of any change of address and those changes must be made either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department.

"Board" means the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Board appointed by the Secretary.

"Certified clinical nutritionist" means an individual certified by the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board.

"Certified nutrition specialist" means an individual certified by the Certification Board for of Nutrition Specialists.

"Department" means the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

"Dietetics and nutrition services" means the integration and application of principles derived from the sciences of food and nutrition to provide for all aspects of nutrition care for individuals and groups, including, but not limited to:

(1) nutrition counseling; "nutrition counseling" means advising and assisting individuals or groups on appropriate nutrition intake by integrating information from the nutrition assessment;

(2) nutrition assessment; "nutrition assessment" means the evaluation of the nutrition needs of individuals or groups using appropriate data to determine nutrient needs or status and make appropriate nutrition recommendations;

(3) medically prescribed diet; "medically prescribed diet" is one form of medical nutrition therapy and means a diet prescribed when specific food or nutrient levels need to be monitored, altered, or both as a component of a treatment program for an individual whose health status is impaired or at risk due to disease, injury, or surgery and may only be performed as initiated by or in consultation with a physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 acting within the scope of his or her practice, except that a medically prescribed diet for a resident of a nursing home shall only be performed as initiated by or in consultation with a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches;

(4) medical nutrition therapy; "medical nutrition therapy" means the component of nutrition care that deals with the systematic use of food and oral supplementation, based on the nutrition assessment and individual health status and need to manage health conditions; medical nutrition therapy; "medical nutrition therapy" means the component of nutrition care that deals with:

(A) interpreting and recommending nutrient needs relative to medically prescribed diets, including, but not limited to, enteral feedings, specialized intravenous solutions, and specialized oral feedings;

(B) food and prescription drug interactions; and

(C) developing and managing food service operations whose chief function is nutrition care and provision of medically prescribed diets;

(5) nutrition services for individuals and groups; "nutrition services for individuals and groups" includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(A) providing nutrition assessments relative to preventive maintenance or restorative care;

(B) providing nutrition education and nutrition counseling as components of preventive maintenance or restorative care; and

(C) developing and managing systems whose chief function is nutrition care; nutrition services for individuals and groups does not include medical nutrition therapy as defined in this Act; and

(6) restorative; "restorative" means the component of nutrition care that deals with oral dietary needs for individuals and groups; activities shall relate to the metabolism of food and the requirements for nutrients, including dietary supplements for growth, development, maintenance, or attainment of optimal health.

"Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition" means an individual certified by the American Clinical Board of Nutrition.

"Licensed dietitian nutritionist" means a person licensed under this Act to practice dietetics and nutrition services, as defined in this Section. Activities of a licensed dietitian nutritionist do not include the medical differential diagnosis of the health status of an individual.

"Practice experience" means a preprofessional, documented, supervised practice in dietetics or nutrition services that is acceptable to the Department in compliance with requirements for licensure, as specified in Section 45. It may be or may include a documented, supervised practice experience which is a component of the educational requirements for licensure, as specified in Section 45.

"Registered dietitian" means an individual registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the accrediting body of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly known as the American Dietetic Association.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation.

"Telepractice" means the delivery of services under this Act by means other than in-person, including, but not limited to, telephone, email, internet, or other methods of electronic communication. Telepractice is not prohibited under this Act provided that the provision of telepractice services is appropriate for the client and the level of care provided meets the required level of care for that client. Individuals providing services regulated by this Act via telepractice shall comply with and are subject to all licensing and disciplinary provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 97-1141, eff. 12-28-12.)

(225 ILCS 30/17 new)

Sec. 17. Other activities subject to licensure under this Act.

(1) Enteral and parenteral nutrition therapy shall consist of enteral feedings or specialized intravenous solutions and shall only be performed by an individual licensed under this Act who:

(a) is a registered dietitian registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the accrediting body of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly known as the American Dietetic Association;

(b) is a certified nutrition support clinician as certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification; or

(c) meets the requirements set forth in the rules of the Department.

(2) Developing and managing food service operations whose chief function is nutrition care shall only be performed by an individual licensed under this Act.

(225 ILCS 30/95) (from Ch. 111, par. 8401-95)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2023)

Sec. 95. Grounds for discipline.

(1) The Department may refuse to issue or renew, or may revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand, or take other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action as the Department may deem appropriate, including imposing fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, with regard to any license or certificate for any one or combination of the following causes:

(a) Material misstatement in furnishing information to the Department.

(b) Violations of this Act or of rules adopted under this Act.

(c) Conviction by plea of guilty or nolo contendere, finding of guilt, jury verdict, or entry of judgment or by sentencing of any crime, including, but not limited to, convictions, preceding sentences of supervision, conditional discharge, or first offender probation, under the laws of any jurisdiction of the United States (i) that is a felony or (ii) that is a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty, or that is directly related to the practice of the profession.

(d) Fraud or any misrepresentation in applying for or procuring a license under this Act or in connection with applying for renewal of a license under this Act.

(e) Professional incompetence or gross negligence.

(f) Malpractice.

(g) Aiding or assisting another person in violating any provision of this Act or its rules.

(h) Failing to provide information within 60 days in response to a written request made by the Department.

(i) Engaging in dishonorable, unethical or unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public.

(j) Habitual or excessive use or abuse of drugs defined in law as controlled substances, alcohol, or any other substance that results in the inability to practice with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety.

(k) Discipline by another state, the District of Columbia, territory, country, or governmental agency if at least one of the grounds for the discipline is the same or substantially equivalent to those set forth in this Act.

(l) Charging for professional services not rendered, including filing false statements for the collection of fees for which services are not rendered. Nothing in this paragraph (1) affects any bona fide independent contractor or employment arrangements among health care professionals, health facilities, health care providers, or other entities, except as otherwise prohibited by law. Any employment arrangements may include provisions for compensation, health insurance, pension, or other employment benefits for the provision of services within the scope of the licensee's practice under this Act. Nothing in this paragraph (1) shall be construed to require an employment arrangement to receive professional fees for services rendered.

(m) A finding by the Department that the licensee, after having his or her license placed on probationary status, has violated the terms of probation.

(n) Willfully making or filing false records or reports in his or her practice, including, but not limited to, false records filed with State agencies or departments.

(o) Allowing one's license under this Act to be used by an unlicensed person in violation of this Act.

(p) Practicing under a false or, except as provided by law, an assumed name.

(q) Gross and willful overcharging for professional services.

(r) (Blank).

(s) Willfully failing to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

(t) Cheating on or attempting to subvert a licensing examination administered under this Act.

(u) Mental illness or disability that results in the inability to practice under this Act with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety.

(v) Physical illness, including, but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process or loss of motor skill that results in a licensee's inability to practice under this Act with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety.

(w) Advising an individual to discontinue, reduce, increase, or otherwise alter the intake of a drug prescribed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or by a prescriber as defined in Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substance Act.

(2) The Department may refuse to issue or may suspend without hearing, as provided for in the Code of Civil Procedure, the license of any person who fails to file a return, or pay the tax, penalty, or interest shown in a filed return, or pay any final assessment of the tax, penalty, or interest as required by any tax Act administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue, until such time as the requirements of any such tax Act are satisfied in accordance with subsection (g) of Section 2105-15 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(3) The Department shall deny a license or renewal authorized by this Act to a person who has defaulted on an educational loan or scholarship provided or guaranteed by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission or any governmental agency of this State in accordance with item (5) of subsection (a) of Section 2105-15 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(4) In cases where the Department of Healthcare and Family Services has previously determined a licensee or a potential licensee is more than 30 days delinquent in the payment of child support and has subsequently certified the delinquency to the Department, the Department may refuse to issue or renew or may revoke or suspend that person's license or may take other disciplinary action against that person based solely upon the certification of delinquency made by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in accordance with item (5) of subsection (a) of Section 1205-15 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(5) The determination by a circuit court that a licensee is subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission, as provided in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, operates as an automatic suspension. The suspension shall end only upon a finding by a court that the patient is no longer subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission and the issuance of an order so finding and discharging the patient.

(6) In enforcing this Act, the Department, upon a showing of a possible violation, may compel an individual licensed to practice under this Act, or who has applied for licensure under this Act, to submit to a mental or physical examination, or both, as required by and at the expense of the Department. The Department may order the examining physician to present testimony concerning the mental or physical examination of the licensee or applicant. No information shall be excluded by reason of any common law or statutory privilege relating to communications between the licensee or applicant and the examining physician. The examining physicians shall be specifically designated by the Department. The individual to be examined may have, at his or her own expense, another physician of his or her choice present during all aspects of this examination. The examination shall be performed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches. Failure of an individual to submit to a mental or physical examination, when directed, shall result in an automatic suspension without hearing.

A person holding a license under this Act or who has applied for a license under this Act who, because of a physical or mental illness or disability, including, but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process or loss of motor skill, is unable to practice the profession with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety, may be required by the Department to submit to care, counseling, or treatment by physicians approved or designated by the Department as a condition, term, or restriction for continued, reinstated, or renewed licensure to practice. Submission to care, counseling, or treatment as required by the Department shall not be considered discipline of a license. If the licensee refuses to enter into a care, counseling, or treatment agreement or fails to abide by the terms of the agreement, then the Department may file a complaint to revoke, suspend, or otherwise discipline the license of the individual. The Secretary may order the license suspended immediately, pending a hearing by the Department. Fines shall not be assessed in disciplinary actions involving physical or mental illness or impairment.

In instances in which the Secretary immediately suspends a person's license under this Section, a hearing on that person's license must be convened by the Department within 15 days after the suspension and completed without appreciable delay. The Department shall have the authority to review the subject individual's record of treatment and counseling regarding the impairment to the extent permitted by applicable federal statutes and regulations safeguarding the confidentiality of medical records.

An individual licensed under this Act and affected under this Section shall be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate to the Department that he or she can resume practice in compliance with acceptable and prevailing standards under the provisions of his or her license.

(Source: P.A. 96-1482, eff. 11-29-10; 97-1141, eff. 12-28-12.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/2/2013