SB627

Regular Session

Relating to the licensing and regulation of dietitians.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) • Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: August 1, 2025 (Recommended internal deadline to finalize HR and contract audits prior to the law taking effect).
Agency Rulemaking: The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will likely amend administrative rules to align with the statute. However, the removal of the PLD title is statutory and self-executing; do not wait for agency guidance to update your internal titles.

Immediate Action Plan

Audit: Run a report of all staff with "Provisional" or "PLD" in their job title or license field.
Verify: Confirm all identified staff hold a valid "Licensed Dietitian" (LD) credential via the TDLR public search.
Purge: Remove "Provisional Licensed Dietitian" from all marketing materials, name badges, and website team pages.
Notify: Issue a memo to Accounts Payable to verify "clear standing" (no unpaid fines) before cutting checks for employee license renewals.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Staffing MSAs: Review Master Service Agreements with third-party medical staffing agencies. You must amend these to explicitly require fully "Licensed Dietitians" (LD). Reject any clauses allowing for "provisional" staff, as this legal status is being voided.
Employment Agreements: Remove any legacy clauses in standard contracts referencing supervision requirements for provisional licensees.

Hiring/Training

Job Descriptions: Audit all open and standing job requisitions. Remove "Provisional Licensed Dietitian" or "PLD" as an acceptable qualification.
Title Usage: Instruct staff to remove "PLD" from email signatures, business cards, and patient charts. Continued use of this title after September 1, 2025, constitutes a misrepresentation under the Occupations Code.
Credentialing: Verify that any legacy employee historically hired as a PLD has completed their upgrade to full Licensed Dietitian (LD) status in the TDLR database.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

HR Classification: Update internal HR information systems (HRIS). Reclassify any employee currently coded as "Provisional" to "Licensed Dietitian" (if qualified) or a non-licensed support role.
Renewal Blocks: The law grants TDLR statutory authority to refuse license renewal if the licensee has unpaid administrative penalties. If your organization pays renewal fees on behalf of employees, implement a check to ensure the employee has no outstanding fines before processing payment.

Fees & Costs

No New Fees: There are no increases in licensing fees.
Cost Impact: Minimal administrative cost associated with updating internal documents and digital assets.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

"Fitness" Requirement Removal: Section 1 removes the word "fitness" from the TDLR’s mandate to establish qualifications. Do not interpret this as a relaxation of background check standards. TDLR retains broad authority under Chapter 53 of the Occupations Code to deny licensure based on criminal history. Maintain your current internal background check protocols; do not lower your hiring standards based on this statutory deletion.
Penalty Standardization: The bill shifts penalty enforcement to Subchapter F, Chapter 51. This signals that dietitians will be subject to the standard, rigorous TDLR enforcement matrix. Expect stricter adherence to fine schedules and less leniency on procedural violations.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsOccupational Regulation Occupational Regulation--other Trades & Professions Dietetics & Dietitians Licensing & Regulation, Texas Commission of Licensing & Regulation, Texas Department of

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 627
89R5470 DNC-F	By: Zaffirini
	Business & Commerce
	2/5/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) ceased offering new provisional dietitian licenses in 2017, yet references to provisional licensed dietitians persist in current law. What's more, TDLR's enabling statute was changed by the 2021 Sunset legislation to remove ambiguous language requiring TDLR to determine if a licensure applicant "lacks the honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity to hold a license issued by the department." Current law, however, still has a reference to TDLR determining the fitness of dietitian license applicants.

S.B. 627 would cure these defects by removing obsolete language and bringing the law into alignment with current TDLR dietitian licensure practices.

As proposed, S.B. 627 amends current law relating to the licensing and regulation of dietitians.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 701.151(b), Occupations Code, as follows:

(b) Deletes existing text requiring the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TCLR) or the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), as appropriate, to establish the fitness of applicants for licenses, including renewed and reciprocal licenses.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 701.251(b), Occupations Code, as follows:

(b) Deletes existing text prohibiting a person, unless the person holds an appropriate license issued under Chapter 701 (Dietitians), from using the title or representing or implying that the person has the title "provisional licensed dietitian" or using the letters "PLD" or using a facsimile of that title to indicate or imply that the person is a provisional licensed dietitian. Makes a nonsubstantive change.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 701.304, Occupations Code, as follows:

Sec. 701.304.� GROUNDS FOR REFUSING RENEWAL. Authorizes TCLR or TDLR to refuse to renew the license of a person who fails to pay an administrative penalty imposed against the person under Subchapter F (Administrative Penalty), Chapter 51 (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation), rather than Subchapter K, unless enforcement of the penalty is stayed or a court has ordered that the administrative penalty is not owed.

SECTION 4. Repealer: Section 701.002(9) (relating to defining "provisional licensed dietitian"), Occupations Code.

Repealers: Sections 701.1511 (Registry) and 701.403 (Sanctions), Occupations Code.

SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDemocrat · Primary Author

House Sponsor

Rep. Gary VandeaverRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 627

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the licensing and regulation of dietitians.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 701.151(b), Occupations Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b) The commission or the department, as appropriate,
	shall:
	(1) adopt and publish a code of ethics;
	(2) establish the qualifications [~~and fitness~~] of
	applicants for licenses, including renewed and reciprocal
	licenses; and
	(3) request and receive any necessary assistance from
	state educational institutions or other state agencies.
	SECTION 2. Section 701.251(b), Occupations Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b) Unless the person holds an appropriate license issued
	under this chapter, a person may not:
	(1) use the title or represent or imply that the person
	has the title "licensed dietitian" [~~or "provisional licensed~~
	~~dietitian"~~] or use the letters "LD" [~~or "PLD"~~]; or
	(2) use a facsimile of that title [~~those titles~~] to
	indicate or imply that the person is a licensed dietitian [or
	~~provisional licensed dietitian~~].
	SECTION 3. Section 701.304, Occupations Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 701.304. GROUNDS FOR REFUSING RENEWAL. The commission
	or department may refuse to renew the license of a person who fails
	to pay an administrative penalty imposed against the person under
	Subchapter F, Chapter 51 [K], unless enforcement of the penalty is
	stayed or a court has ordered that the administrative penalty is not
	owed.
	SECTION 4. The following provisions of the Occupations Code
	are repealed:
	(1) Section 701.002(9);
	(2) Section 701.1511; and
	(3) Section 701.403.
	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


February 17, 2025

TO:	Honorable Charles Schwertner, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB627 by Zaffirini (Relating to the licensing and regulation of dietitians.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

313 Department of Information Resources, 360 State Office of Administrative Hearings, 452 Department of Licensing and Regulation

LBB Staff:

JMc, CMA, GDZ, BFa

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB627

What does Texas SB627 do?

SB627 formally eliminates the "Provisional Licensed Dietitian" (PLD) designation from the Texas Occupations Code and strengthens enforcement mechanisms for license renewals. Healthcare facilities and dietary practices must immediately purge "Provisional" terminology from credentialing systems and ensure all employed dietitians hold full licensure, as the provisional category will cease to exist legally. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: August 1, 2025 (Recommended internal deadline to finalize HR and contract audits prior to the law taking effect).

Who authored SB627?

SB627 was authored by Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini during the Regular Session.

When was SB627 signed into law?

SB627 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB627?

SB627 is enforced by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation.

How urgent is compliance with SB627?

The compliance urgency for SB627 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB627?

The cost impact of SB627 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB627 address?

SB627 addresses topics including occupational regulation, occupational regulation--other trades & professions, dietetics & dietitians, licensing & regulation, texas commission of and licensing & regulation, texas department of.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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