OUR MISSION
The mission of the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of North Carolina from harmful nutrition practice by providing for the licensure and regulation of persons engaged in the practice of dietetics/nutrition and by establishing educational standards for those persons.
OUR HISTORY
In July 1991, the Act to Regulate the Practice of Dietetics/Nutrition was passed in the North Carolina General Assembly. The first Board was appointed in early 1992. The first dietitians/nutritionists were licensed in June 1992. By early 1993, the Board had adopted rules that outlined the ways that one may become licensed, as well as a code of ethics, fee structure, and methods for handling complaints and violations.
Over the years, the Act and rules have been amended to ensure the Board’s ability to uphold its mission. Noting the practice of dietetics and nutrition has changed substantially since the creation of the Practice Act, in 2018, after multiple years of working on change, HB357 was passed by the legislature, and signed into law (SL 2018-91) by Governor Roy Cooper. HB357 brought statutory provision for order writing, a new pathway to licensure, elimination of the exemption from licensure for dietitians/nutritionists practicing in hospitals and long-term care facilities, expansion of the ability of unlicensed persons to be able to provide non-medical nutrition services, significant changes in Board composition, and the requirement of criminal background checks for all new licensure applicants.
With the passage of HB357, the Board is now composed of five nutrition professionals, one licensed physician, and a non-medical public member. Four of the Board members are appointed by the General Assembly, and three are appointed by the Governor. Board member terms are three years. The Practice Act limits Board members to being reappointed to only one consecutive term. Board positions (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary) are elected by the Board annually.
BOARD OPERATIONS
The Board is supported by an Executive Director and part-time staff located in Cary, NC. While the Board has a statutory duty to report to various state agencies and authorities, the Board is not funded by the general public. Rather, all operations are fully supported through fees paid by the Board’s licensees.
