National Public Policy, Legislation & Advocacy
Updated February 5, 2025
General
The Academy and Public Policy
As a state affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy), the Massachusetts Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND) promotes public policy and advocates for issues in line with those of the Academy.
Every three years, the Academy updates its public policy goals to align current advocacy strategies to the mission and vision of the organization. The goals advance the impact of the Academy in each of the following four strategic focus areas:
- Well-Being and Prevention
- Nutrition Care and Health Systems
- Nutrition Security and Food Safety
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access
Those interested in adding their support to these efforts are encouraged to join the Academy's Advocacy Affinity Groups, which are monthly forum-based events where staff, policy leaders and members connect to discuss advocacy priorities and strategies.
Policy Initiatives and Advocacy Team
The Academy's Policy Initiatives and Advocacy (PIA) team is located in Washington, DC, where it serves as the Academy’s voice on Capitol Hill. The work of the PIA team complements and supports the work of state affiliates and individual members to promote food and nutrition policies at the national level.
PIA staff members lead the Academy’s consumer protection and licensure efforts and meet with government agencies such as USDA, FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss regulatory issues. They meet with members of Congress to promote nutrition-focused policy and contribute to conferences such as the White House Conference on Huger, Nutrition, and Health and the National Food Policy Conference.
The PIA team also assists affiliates in reaching out to their members of Congress, known as the “congressional delegation.” The MA congressional delegation includes two U.S. Senators and nine members of the U.S House of Representatives.
https://www.senate.gov/states/MA/intro.htm
https://www.house.gov/representatives#state-massachusetts
Interested in learning more about nutrition public policy at the federal level? Visit https://www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy
Legislation
U.S. Congress
Each Congress lasts two years, with two one-year sessions. The current 119th Congress began on January 3, 2025 and will end on January 3, 2027. Every new Congress, the Academy works with members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to find sponsors and cosponsors of bills in line with the Academy’s stated public policy priorities. Bills which are not passed by Congress to become law during a session of Congress “die in session” and need to be reintroduced in the new Congress. Thus, bills supported by the Academy vary over time, as bills get passed, die in session, or are reintroduced in a new session. Academy staff in Washington, DC, work with nutrition champions on Capitol Hill to get new bills introduced and to get bills from the previous Congress reintroduced.
In the current 2025-2026 session, the Academy’s main legislative priorities are:
- Funding critical health and nutrition programs such as SNAP and school meals
- Advancing a Farm Bill supporting a nourishing, affordable, sustainable food supply
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Act (MNT Act)
- Dietitian Licensure Compact
Learn more about the Academy’s main legislative priorities: https://www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy/initiatives
Regulation
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
When Congress passes a bill into law, one or more government agencies are identified to write regulations to explicitly outline the specifics of the law. For example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the health care agency overseeing the health care of over 100 million Medicare and Medicaid recipients, writes and updates regulations to reflect major health care legislation, such as new preventive services under the Affordable Care Act. Importantly, CMS regulations impact the large percentage of Academy members working in clinical and outpatient settings. In addition, many states’ Medicaid and commercial insurance plans follow suit, covering conditions and reimbursing RDNs for MNT services in line with CMS.
Therapeutic Diet Order Writing
In May 2014, CMS ruled that RDNs in hospitals could be privileged to independently order therapeutic diet and monitor and manage dietary plans for their patients. The Academy remains involved in the continued rollout of the new rule, providing support to affiliates and members working in clinical dietetics seeking to be privileged to work within this new, enlarged role.
Licensure and Professional Regulation of Dietitians
The Academy works to support affiliates in the 48 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico who currently have statutory provisions regulating the dietetics profession or associated titles, such as “licensed dietitian/nutritionist.” It also works with affiliates to continue their efforts to obtain new or strengthen existing licensure provisions.
For more information on dietetic licensure in Massachusetts, see the Licensure Information section under the Professional Development tab on the MAND website.
For further information on licensure across the U.S. visit: https://www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy/licensure/licensure-map-and-statutes-by-state
Advocacy
The Academy and Advocacy
The Academy calls upon its members to support legislation and issues important to our profession and provides background information and the means for doing so. These include “Action Alerts,” “Take Your Congressperson to Work Day” and Advocacy Days. Members may edit their Academy correspondence subscriber preferences and receive regular e-newsletters, such as Eat Right Weekly and Nutrition and Dietetics SmartBrief.
Set your email subscriber preferences at: https://www.eatrightpro.org/account/my-academy
Action Alerts
“Action Alerts” are sent out by the Academy throughout the year as bills or resolutions supported by the Academy are introduced or up for a vote in the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives, or, if a government agency is planning to implement or change current regulations. Members are urged to take a few minutes to log into their www.eatrightpro.org account to use the Academy-provided tool, the “Academy Action Center,” to send pre-written electronic letters to their members of Congress. With only a few keyboard strokes, members can personalize the letters and include their contact information.
Learn more: https://www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy/take-action/action-alerts
Take Your Congressperson to Work
Each August, Congress recesses and members work from their home district offices. This district work period provides the opportunity for Academy members to meet with their members of Congress to provide further information on key pieces of legislation supported by the Academy. The Academy suggests that during this time members may also wish to organize an opportunity to “take their Congressperson to work,” inviting them to see the important work they do in their role as RDN in the private, public or non-profit sector. If this is something you might like to do, let the PPP know!
National Alliances
To expand the reach of its national advocacy campaigns, the Academy joins national advocacy alliances working on a variety of health and nutrition issues. Examples of these are the Obesity Care Advocacy Network and Defeat Malnutrition Today.
