From: "Sen.Vinehout" <Sen.Vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov>
Date: February 20, 2009 4:09:43 PM CST
To: "*Legislative Senate Democrats"  "*Legislative Senate Republicans"  "*Legislative Senate - Independents"

Subject: Co-sponsorship - Wisconsin Dietitian Licensure Bills

TO:             All Legislators

FROM:   Sen. Kathleen Vinehout and Rep. Sandy Pasch

DATE:   February 20, 2009

RE:     Co-sponsorship of  – The Wisconsin Dietitian Licensure Bill

With many of the leading causes of death in our country linked to diet and lifestyle, advanced nutrition therapy is a vital component of health care. It's used to treat individuals with a variety of conditions and illnesses to improve their overall health.

Only registered dietitians possess the necessary credentialing to provide expert nutrition services. However, Wisconsin does not currently license dietitians or nutritionists or define their scope of practice in state statute. Unfortunately, this leads to confusion for health care consumers who deserve to know if their nutrition care is being provided by a qualified professional. 

The Wisconsin Dietitian Licensure Bill would license registered dietitians in Wisconsin, statutorily define their scope of practice and protect the public by requiring minimum education and experience requirements for licensed nutrition professionals.

Good nutrition is vital to health and well-being, and basic nutrition education is a valuable prevention and wellness tool. That's why this proposal does not restrict the provision of general nutrition information from non-licensed professionals or in any way impede businesses that market food products or dietary supplements.

Thirty-five states already license dietitians to provide their citizens with the confidence they are receiving advanced nutrition care – backed by science – from highly trained nutrition professionals. The Wisconsin Dietitian Licensure Bill would provide the same level of protection to Wisconsin citizens.

This legislation is supported by a wide-array of health care organizations, including:

·       The Wisconsin Dietetic Association

·       The American Heart Association

·       The Wisconsin Medical Society

·       The Wisconsin Public Health Association

·       Children's Hospital and Health System.

If you would like to co-sponsor the Wisconsin Dietitian Licensure companion bills , please contact Linda Kleinschmidt in Sen. Vinehout's office at 6-8546 or Fred Ludwig in Rep. Pasch's office at 6-7671 by 5:00PM on MARCH 6th.  Unless indicated otherwise in your call, you will be listed as a co-sponsor on both bills.