Urgent Action Needed to OPPOSE New Jersey A.B. 1582

Urgent Action Needed to OPPOSE New Jersey A.B. 1582, a Restrictive Dietitian Nutritionist Licensing Bill, by 10am Tomorrow, September 12

A.B. 1582 is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee on Thursday, September 13, 2018 at 10:00 am in Committee Room 11 of the State House Annex building. Please attend the hearing to testify in opposition of the bill and/or, at the very least, leave a message with the office of each member of the Assembly Health Committee, info below, to tell them to vote note NO on A.B. 1582 and email your legislators to share your opposition too!

A.B. 1582 (companion bill S.B. 2625) would unconstitutionally limit freedom of speech and freedom of choice in practitioners of natural health. The bill limits herbalists, naturopaths, nutritional consultants, and holistic health coaches – and even people like housewives – who need to talk and make recommendations about food and herbs all the time. This bill would limit their practices and limit their speech about nutrition. There is no evidence that consumers are being harmed without restrictive regulation and so there is no reason to make illegal the “practice” of dietetics/nutrition. Please call the members of the Assembly Health Committee before 10am tomorrow to ask them to vote no on A.B. 1582.  Then, use the link below to send an email of opposition to your personal Senator and Representative.

 Contact Information of Members of the Assembly Health Committee: 

The message for Committee Members:

“I oppose A.B. 1582, a bill to License Dietitians and Nutritionists, as written – it unconstitutionally  limits our freedom of speech on nutrition and decreases and jeopardizes consumer  options  in natural  health  care. Please tell  the  Assemblymember  to  vote  no  on  A.B.  1582  when  it  is  heard  in  Health Committee on Thursday. Thank you.”

Webform to E-mail your Representatives in the Senate and Assembly , is available HERE.

Message to send to your personal legislators (note – although we welcome you to copy and paste the message below, please take the time to write a personal note on your letter too as this will have a greater impact with the legislators. Tell them about your rights as a consumer in New Jersey to a free and educated choice in health care providers. Also tell them that you depend on alternative and complementary care for you and your family):

Subject: Please Oppose S.B. 2625/A.B. 1582, Licensing Dietitians/Nutritionists Dear Legislator,

As your constituent, I respectfully urge you to please oppose New Jersey S.B. 2625/ A.B. 1582, relating to Dietitian and Nutritionist Licensing. S.B. 2625/ A.B. 1582 seeks to create an offensive broad occupational monopoly on the world of nutrition by a private trade group, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetics Association), claiming that only those dietitians/nutritionists with the endorsed trade group education can obtain licensure from the state of New Jersey, and claiming a sweeping scope of practice that even includes simply using nutrition to achieve and maintain health.

S.B. 2625/ A.B. 1582 would jeopardize my right to make recommendations or give advice about nutrition without a dietitian/nutrition license because it threatens freedom of speech on nutrition and decreases consumer options in natural health care. There is no evidence that consumers are being harmed without restrictive regulation and so there is no reason to make illegal the “practice” of dietetics/nutrition.

This bill is especially offensive to the citizens of New Jersey because, as other states have recently realized when they decided to repeal their dietitian licensing laws, “The regulation of dieticians and nutritionists does not provide a clear public health and safety benefit.” Michigan’s Office of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR), Recommendations Regarding Occupational Licensing (Feb. 2012); see also 2013 MI H.B. 4688, assigned PA 267’14. Please do not discourage job creation and decrease competition in the field of nutrition, and thereby increase costs for consumers!

You can protect my right to access nutrition-care services from the practitioners of my choice by opposing S.B. 2625/A.B. 1582.

Thank you for your time and consideration.