Public Policy

Here you will find useful information on how to connect with your government representatives.

Meet the Texas Academy Lobbyist

Texas Academy Public Policy Efforts

• 2012, in partnership with the Texas Medical Association, The Texas Academy stopped an initiative by the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners to establish a Specialty in Nutrition certification for chiropractors, without these providers having to obtain the level of  education and training typically associated with achieving “specialty” status.
•  2015, Thanks to an intensive lobbying effort, the dissolution of the Dietitian licensure program did not occur during 2015 Department of State Health Services’ Sunset Review. The Texas Academy testified at numerous hearings and recruited and educated key legislators to champion continuation of Dietitian licensure.
• 2016, the Texas Academy’s proactive work with DSHS resulted in the agency issuing a guidance letter to all licensed hospitals allowing hospital Dietitians to order therapeutic diets if authorized by hospital medical staff.  This guidance was necessary in the aftermath of CMS rule changes impacting dietary services in hospitals.
• 2018, The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) initiated a rulemaking to update Dietitian rules and regulations to conform with the agency’s regulatory model.  During that process, the  Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS) seized the opportunity to  attempt to propose an alternative path to Dietitian licensure, utilizing  the CNS exam rather than the test required by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). By engaging with the Dietitian Advisory Board and agency personnel, the Texas Academy was able to help stop this initiative, by underscoring the differences between Dietitian and CNS credentialing and the lack of statutory authority for the the changes BCNS was proposing.
• 2023, the Texas Academy worked with TDLR to successfully shepherd a bill through the Texas Legislature to better align the Dietitians’ statute with changing education requirements being implemented by the Commission on Dietetic Registration on January 1, 2024.  While the bill was one of several dozen bills vetoed by Governor Abbott during the end-of-session political posturing over property tax relief, the Texas Academy, TDLR and the Senate bill sponsor all remain determined to address relevant issues through either future legislative action or agency rulemaking.