Public Policy
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Public policy, not to be confused with politics, is how we communicate our legislative recommendations to our representatives.
Having a basic understanding of policy helps support your community, the health of the public, and the dietetics profession.
Members of Congress are responsible for passing federal legislation. Congress is made up of 2 important groups of members: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has two members from each state. The House of Representatives has a different number of members based on the population of the state. Each member represents a congressional district in a certain geographic area. Connecticut has 5 congressional districts.
The state legislature passes legislation relevant to your state. The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of Connecticut. Like Congress, the state legislature has two parts: the Connecticut House of Representatives (151 members) and the Connecticut State Senate (36 members). Each Connecticut resident is represented by 1 State Senator and 1 State Representative. All members of the Connecticut General Assembly have 2-year terms.
Take action, discover legislation and public policy issues, find resources on licensure, learn Public Policy 101, and read about the Academy’s Public Action Committee (ANDPAC).
Know your federal and state legislators, the committees they serve on, and how to contact them.
State Legislative Tracking Map
Explore active state legislation relevant to the Academy’s policy priorities.
Get Involved
There are several ways to get involved and support the CT Academy’s policy initiatives. The best part is it is quick and easy to be an advocate, but it makes a world of a difference in pushing important bills forward relevant to our profession.
Here are a few easy ways to share your expertise or become a CT Academy advocate.
Sign up for Action Alerts
Be in the know of the latest policy action alerts from the Academy so you can promptly take action to support them. It only takes one minute to ask your representatives to support the Academy’s policy initiatives.
Join the Academy’s Affinity Groups
Connect with fellow Academy members once a month to discuss special policy initiatives that pique your interest. There are several specialty groups to choose from including Nutrition Security, Maternal and Child Health, MNT Expansion, and more.
Advocate Within Your Circle
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the food and nutrition experts! Spread awareness about the critical role of nutrition in improving our nation’s health to students, other healthcare professionals, family, and friends.
Volunteer on the CT Academy’s Public Policy Committee
The Public Policy Committee meets once a month to plan initiatives and provide resources to advocate for the dietetics profession as well as those we serve. Projects include an annual State Legislative Day, meetings with Congressional representatives, and an Advocacy 101 training for students. Members also provide legislative testimony in support of critical bills and connect with key policy leaders.
To learn more and get involved, email: eatrightct@gmail.com
Vote
Make an informed decision and vote in every election for federal and state legislators.
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Nutrition Services Payment
The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Services Payment Specialist and committee serve as a local resource for CT Academy members who have questions about reimbursement issues. They support coding and coverage issues on the local level by initiating or helping advance members’ coverage activities with third party payers or other decision makers. You may contact the CT Academy Nutrition Services Payment Specialist by email with questions or to join the committee at eatrightct@gmail.com
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Payment Resources
- Guide for medical nutrition therapy (MNT) reimbursement www.eatright.org/mnt
- Guide for nutrition services payments https://www.eatrightpro.org/payment
- Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guidelines on the Academy’s Evidence Analysis Library www.andeal.org
