S 160 — Dietitian Licensure Compact

2025-2026 Bill 160 Text of Previous Version (Feb.(Jan.

10,14, 2026)2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 160Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.

Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.) Indicates  Matter  Stricken  Indicates  New  Matter    Committee  ReportA Februarybill 10,  2026TO  AMEND S.THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "DIETITIAN LICENSURE COMPACT ACT";

160   Introduced by Senator Verdin   S.

Printed 2/10/26--S.

Read the first time January 14, 2025   ________   The committee on Senate Medical Affairs To whom was referred a Bill (S.

160) to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws so as to enact the "Dietitian Licensure Compact Act";

by adding Article 1 to Chapter 21, Title 40, etc., respectfully Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

      Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 2, by striking Section 40-21-140(A)(1) and inserting:

       (1) hold a valid current registration that gives the applicant the right to use the term registered dietitian or;

Amend the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 40-21-140(A)(2)(b) and (c) and inserting:

               (b)(iii) a planned, documented, supervised practice experience in dietetics that is programmatically accredited by ACEND, or a dietetics accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education which the compact commission may by rule determine and which involves at least one thousand hours of practice experience under the supervision of a registered dietitian or a licensed dietitian;

or                (c)(iv) successful completion of either the registration examination for dietitians administered by CDR, or a national credentialing examination for dietitians approved by the compact commission by rule, such completion being no more than five years prior to the date of the licensee's application for initial licensure and accompanied by a period of continuous licensure thereafter, all of which may be further governed by the rules of the compact commission;

Amend the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 40-21-180(D)(2) and inserting:

       (2) The executive committee shall be composed of nine members:

           (a) the chair and vice chair of the compact commission, who shall be voting members of the executive committee;

           (b) five voting members from the current membership of the compact commission, elected by the compact commission;

           (c) one ex officio, nonvoting member from a recognized professional association representing dietitians;

and            (d) one ex officio, nonvoting member from a recognized national credentialing organization for dietitians.

Amend the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 40-21-230(B) and inserting:

    (B) The provisions of this compact shall be severable if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to the constitution of any member state, a state seeking participation in the compact, or of the United States, or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held to be unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any other government, agency, person, or circumstances shall not be affected.

    (B)(C) The Notwithstanding the provisions contained in subsection (B), the compact commission may deny a state's participation in the compact or, in accordance with the requirements of Section 40-21-210(B), terminate a member state's participation in the compact, if it determines that a constitutional requirement of a member state is a material departure from the compact.

Otherwise, if this compact shall be held to be contrary to the constitution of any member state, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining member states and in full force and effect as to the member state affected as to all severable matters.

Amend the bill further, SECTION 4, by striking Section 40-20-60(B) and inserting:

    (B) In addition to other requirements established by law, a person applying to be licensed as a dietitian, as defined in Section 40-20-20(2), or for participation in the Dietician Licensure Compact, must undergo a state criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and a national criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The results of these criminal records checks must be reported to the department.

SLED and the FBI are authorized to retain the fingerprints for identification and certification purposes and for notification of the department regarding criminal charges.

Costs of conducting a criminal history background check must be borne by the applicant.

The department shall keep information received pursuant to this section confidential, except that information relied upon in denying licensure may be disclosed to the board as may be necessary to support the administrative action.

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

  DANIEL VERDIN for Committee.

  _______                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "DIETITIAN LICENSURE COMPACT ACT";

              (1) hold a valid current registration that gives the applicant the right to use the term registered dietitian;

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