New Jersey: A dietitian licensure bill, referred to as S-1941 and A-2933, was introduced in New Jersey in late June, 2008. Mid-September, it passed the Health Committee in the Assembly with only two dissenting votes. The committee chair is a sponsor of the bill.
Sunshine Health Freedom located a State Coordinator, Joan O’Rourke, who can be reached at 908/213-0166, or E-mail at spiritsmile@enter.net. The Sunshine Steering committee shares members with an established group that Darryl Clark is in charge of, with Dian Freeman as legislative liaison. Clinton Miller and Susan Gingerich met with them every other day for about two weeks, and then weekly, often having Diane Miller JD on the calls. The Senate bill was assigned to the Senate Commerce Committee and given a hearing date of Oct. 6. The Appropriations committee in the Assembly has the Assembly Bill. Hearings have been cancelled.
Joan O’Rourke is watching the agendas of those committees. The bills have not been rescheduled. In the autumn, two communications were mailed and E-mailed through Natures Sunshine to inform the managers in the state. Diane Miller wrote an amendment to protect everyone else’s freedoms if the bill passed. It has been circulated to legislators. The dietitians have hired a well-respected lobbyist. The session ends at the end of December 2009.
Plans are being made for Susan Gingerich to lead the grassroots lobbying workshop there and assist the New Jersey team in finding a sponsor for the amendment.
New Jersey
Sunshine Health Freedom State Coordinator
Joan V. O'Rourke State Coordinator
1510 Center Street, 1st Floor
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
Phone: (908) 213-0166
