Texas SB 25 Nutrition and Metabolic Health CE Requirement: What Is and Isn't Decided

Definition

Texas SB 25 adds nutrition and metabolic health continuing education to certain Texas license renewals filed on or after January 1, 2027. It covers physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and licensed dietitians, but each profession's regulator determines the required hours and course content. Texas Legislature enrolled SB 25

As of October 2, 2026, the Texas Medical Board has finalized a one-credit-hour requirement for physicians and physician assistants. The Texas Board of Nursing has not finalized its SB 25 hour count, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has proposed, but not finally adopted, a three-hour requirement for dietitians. Texas Register adopted medical rules Texas Board of Nursing rule changes Texas Register proposed dietitian rules

What SB 25 clearly does

SB 25 creates a profession-specific mandate rather than one uniform Texas nutrition CE rule. The table separates the existing renewal requirements that remain in force from the new SB 25 requirement and its current rulemaking status.

The practical reading rule is to start with the profession, not the phrase “Texas nutrition CE.” Physicians and physician assistants now have a final one-hour rule, while nurses and dietitians remain subject to separate rulemaking paths.

What is not fully decided yet

There is no single Texas-wide nutrition CE hour figure because SB 25 delegates implementation to three regulatory bodies. The hour count is settled for physicians and physician assistants, but not for every profession covered by the law.

The Texas Medical Board completed its rulemaking by adopting one credit hour for physicians and one credit hour for physician assistants. Both rules require content focused on nutritional guidelines recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. Texas Register adopted medical rules

The Texas Board of Nursing decides how many nutrition and metabolic health hours RNs, LVNs, and APRNs need. As of October 2, 2026, its published rule changes do not include a final SB 25 nutrition rule, so one hour cannot be presented as the settled nursing requirement. Texas Board of Nursing rule changes

TDLR has moved further by proposing three hours for licensed dietitians, taken within the existing 12-hour renewal total. That three-hour figure remains a proposal until the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation adopts a final rule. Texas Register proposed dietitian rules

Who is covered, and who is not on this page

This page addresses the SB 25 nutrition and metabolic health CE requirement for four licensing groups named in the law:

• Physicians
• Physician assistants
• Nurses, including RNs, LVNs, and APRNs
• Licensed dietitians

Coverage is based on the license type, not the clinician's specialty or whether nutrition is a major part of daily practice. Texas Legislature enrolled SB 25

It is not a general Texas CE page for every healthcare profession. Dentists already follow a separate Texas CE structure, and the SB 25 mandate discussed here does not replace or modify those dental renewal rules. Texas State Board of Dental Examiners

How this shows up in real renewal decisions

Example 1: Texas physician or physician assistant renewing in 2027

The required nutrition and metabolic health amount is no longer a proposal for physicians and physician assistants. The Texas Medical Board has adopted a one-credit-hour requirement, and qualifying CME may be formal or informal. For physicians, TMB's current implementation guidance applies the requirement to licenses expiring on or after May 30, 2027. Texas Medical Board physician CME requirements

Example 2: Texas nurse renewing in 2027

An RN, LVN, or APRN should treat SB 25 as an upcoming targeted CE requirement, but should not borrow the one-hour medical rule. The Texas Board of Nursing decides the nursing hour count and content, and its final SB 25 implementation was not published as of October 2, 2026. Texas Board of Nursing rule changes

Example 3: Buyer comparing Texas and Louisiana nutrition CE

Louisiana fixes a one-hour requirement for covered professions and specialties, while Texas now has a mixed status: one hour is final for physicians and physician assistants, nursing remains pending, and dietitians have a proposed three-hour rule. A course marketed for both states must still be matched to the buyer's profession and renewal cycle. Renew Now CE Louisiana nutrition requirement page

Can I complete a nutrition course now, and will it count?

Yes, accredited nutrition CE completed during the applicable licensing period can count toward a profession's general renewal total, but whether one hour completes the SB 25 topic requirement depends on the profession. Physicians and physician assistants now have a final one-hour rule. An ANCC contact hour can count toward a nurse's existing continuing competency total, but the BON still determines what completes the targeted SB 25 requirement. A CDR-approved CPEU can count toward a dietitian's current 12-hour total, but the pending dietitian proposal would require three topic-specific hours. Texas Medical Board physician assistant CME requirements Texas Board of Nursing continuing competency requirements TDLR dietitian CE requirements

Renew Now CE offers a one-hour Nutrition and Metabolic Health for Medical Professionals course built for the Texas and Louisiana mandates. The activity provides 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit for physicians through joint providership with AKH, 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit for physician assistants, 1.0 ANCC contact hour for nurses, and 1.0 CDR CPEU for registered dietitians. It matches the finalized Texas hour count for physicians and physician assistants; for nurses and dietitians, it should be evaluated against the final profession-specific rule rather than treated as proof that all SB 25 hours are complete.

Common misconceptions

“SB 25 fixed the same hour count for everyone.”

No. Physicians and physician assistants have a final one-hour rule, nurses do not yet have a final hour count, and dietitians have a proposed three-hour rule that has not been adopted. Texas Register adopted medical rules Texas Register proposed dietitian rules

“If my renewal is before January 1, 2027, SB 25 applies now.”

No. The statute applies the new requirement to renewal applications filed on or after January 1, 2027. Applications filed before that date remain governed by the prior law. Texas Legislature enrolled SB 25

“Any Texas healthcare professional is covered.”

No. The SB 25 continuing education provisions apply to physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and licensed dietitians. Other healthcare professions continue under their own licensing statutes and board rules.

Related terms

• Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee: The committee whose recommended nutritional guidelines form the basis for SB 25 course content. Texas Legislature enrolled SB 25
• Rulemaking: The formal process through which the Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing, and Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation convert SB 25 into profession-specific hour and content requirements.
• Texas license renewal filing date: The statutory trigger for SB 25. The new sections apply to renewal applications filed on or after January 1, 2027.
• Texas nursing CE requirements: The broader continuing competency framework for RNs, LVNs, and APRNs. SB 25 becomes an additional targeted topic within that framework rather than replacing the existing renewal total. Renew Now CE Texas nursing CE guide

Why this distinction matters for buyers

The main buying risk is treating “Texas SB 25 compliant” as one universal course specification. That shortcut now fails in two directions: it understates the finalized medical rules if a provider still calls one hour merely proposed, and it overstates certainty if a provider assigns the same one-hour figure to nurses or dietitians.

As of October 2, 2026, the reliable planning answer is profession-specific. Physicians and physician assistants have a final one-credit-hour requirement. The Texas Board of Nursing still decides the RN, LVN, and APRN hours. Dietitians remain under the existing 12-hour total while a proposal would reserve three of those hours for SB 25 content. Texas Register adopted medical rules Texas Board of Nursing rule changes Texas Register proposed dietitian rules

Frequently asked questions

Can Texas nurses complete a nutrition CE course before the SB 25 rules are final?

Yes, Texas nurses can complete an ANCC-accredited nutrition course and use the contact hour toward their general continuing competency total when it falls within the applicable licensing period. Renew Now CE's one-hour nutrition and metabolic health course provides 1.0 ANCC contact hour. Because the Texas Board of Nursing has not finalized its SB 25 hour and content rule as of October 2, 2026, one hour should not yet be represented as complete satisfaction of the nursing-specific mandate. Renew Now CE nutrition and metabolic health course Texas Board of Nursing continuing competency requirements

How many hours do Texas physicians and physician assistants need under SB 25?

Texas physicians and physician assistants need one credit hour of continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health under the final Texas Medical Board rules. The amendments to 22 TAC §§161.35 and 183.16 became effective September 3, 2026, and require content focused on guidelines recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. Texas Register adopted medical rules

Does SB 25 affect a Texas renewal application filed in 2026?

No. The SB 25 nutrition and metabolic health CE sections apply to renewal applications filed on or after January 1, 2027. A renewal application filed before that date remains governed by the law in effect when it was filed. Texas Legislature enrolled SB 25

How many SB 25 nutrition hours will Texas dietitians need?

Three hours is the proposed requirement for Texas licensed dietitians, but it was not final as of October 2, 2026. The proposed rule would place those three hours inside the existing 12-hour, two-year CE total and would cover metabolic health, the nutritional components and health effects of ultra-processed foods, or topics recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. Texas Register proposed dietitian rules

Who decides how many nutrition CE hours Texas nurses need, and has that rule been adopted?

The Texas Board of Nursing decides the required hours and course content for RNs, LVNs, and APRNs. SB 25 directs the BON to adopt those rules by December 31, 2026, based on guidelines recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. The nursing hour count had not been finalized as of October 2, 2026. Texas Board of Nursing legislative history

Is Texas SB 25 the same as the existing Texas nursing CE requirement?

No. Texas SB 25 adds a targeted nutrition and metabolic health topic to the broader nursing continuing competency framework. Texas RNs and LVNs generally complete 20 contact hours in their area of practice or use qualifying national certification, while APRNs follow role and population-focus requirements. The final BON rule will determine how the SB 25 topic fits inside that structure. Renew Now CE Texas nursing CE guide

References

• Texas Legislature enrolled SB 25
• Texas Register adopted Texas Medical Board rules
• Texas Medical Board physician CME requirements
• Texas Medical Board physician assistant CME requirements
• Texas Board of Nursing continuing competency requirements
• Texas Board of Nursing rule changes
• TDLR dietitian continuing education requirements
• Texas Register proposed dietitian rules
• Renew Now CE nutrition and metabolic health course