Senators and witnesses on Thursday heard testimony on Bill 197-38, introduced by Senator Jesse Luhan, which would revise Guam’s licensure standards to require a graduate degree for applicants seeking licensure as clinical dietitians and nutritionists.

Supporters from the Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners, University of Guam faculty and local registered dietitians said the change aligns Guam with national credentialing standards set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, effective Jan. 1, 2024, and would strengthen public protection. "Aligning Guam's statute with these standards ensures consistency with professional requirements now adopted across the United States and strengthens the qualifications of practitioners serving our island community," Senator Jesse Luhan said during his opening remarks.

The Guam Board and practitioners asked the committee to accept targeted drafting fixes so the statute uses correct credential names and cross‑references. "Those who are already licensed, this change will not affect them," Catherine Saint Nicholas, the clinical dietitian member of the Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners, told the committee, urging the bill's corrected language to apply to initial licensure only.

Committee members pressed witnesses on operational impacts. Board representatives said current publicly posted license lists may be out of date and committed to provide an updated count; later in the hearing the board reported roughly 35 licensed dietitian‑nutritionists on Guam and three licensed nutritionists. Witnesses and University of Guam faculty warned that Guam currently lacks a local master's‑level dietetics program and described active efforts to develop bridge or hybrid graduate pathways and local preceptors so students can complete required supervised practice.

Lawmakers also discussed credential differences. Panelists described a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) as a credential that requires graduate education, supervised practice and passing a national registration exam, whereas certain certified nutrition credentials follow different boards and examinations. Multiple senators urged the bill be explicit about renewal and grandfathering language so current licensees are not unintentionally subject to new entry requirements at renewal.

Panelists raised consumer protection concerns about an unregulated supplement market and the risk of unqualified providers offering nutrition prescriptions without proper assessment. They urged stronger enforcement, public education and clearer statutory language.

Senator Luhan said the committee will incorporate technical corrections in the markup and move the measure forward for deliberation in the January session. The hearing produced no final vote; the bill will advance through committee markup for statutory drafting and potential amendments.