A JOINT RESOLUTION directing state agencies to deploy policies that support a focus on healthy lifestyles and evidence-based nutrition interventions in all health and medical education for students and active health professionals.

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1585
Page 1 of 4
XXXX 2/9/2026 3:13 PM Jacketed
A JOINT RESOLUTION directing state agencies to deploy policies that support a 1
focus on healthy lifestyles and evidence -based nutrition interventions in all health a nd 2
medical education for students and active health professionals. 3
WHEREAS, Kentucky can maintain an alignment with federal policy guidance 4
from the Make America Healthy Again strategy as outlined by the United States 5
Department of Health and Human Service s for lifestyle interventions, chronic disease 6
reduction, and childhood chronic disease epidemic; and 7
WHEREAS, Kentucky can further match the United States Department of 8
Agriculture’s policies to strengthen strategies for healthier choices and to support 9
innovative pilot programs; and 10
WHEREAS, nutrition and lifestyle education aligns with the Commonwealth’s 11
declaration as a Food Is Medicine state and supports local -first school nutrition 12
legislation as complementary policy while launching the largest single -state nutrition and 13
lifestyle medicine workforce investments; and 14
WHEREAS, Kentucky will incorporate and expand high -quality training into 15
current and continuing medical education for existing and future physicians, other health 16
care professionals, allied health and nursing personnel, and K -12 educators, to align state 17
policy with translational knowledge into everyday care and general daily practice driving 18
enriched clinical tools and patient resources to influence behavior modification in 19
nutrition habits for long-term health improvement; and 20
WHEREAS, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine has taken a leadership 21
role in advancing the education of healthcare professional partnership with the Kentucky 22
Medical Association through a whole -person care appro ach, specifically addressing 23
whole food nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, social connectedness, stress 24
management, and avoidance of risky substances; and 25
WHEREAS, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine cites research showing 26
that 94% of internal medicine resident doctors believe nutrition counseling to be essential 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1585
Page 2 of 4
XXXX 2/9/2026 3:13 PM Jacketed
to patient care, yet 86% felt unqualified and clinically unprepared to provide effective 1
nutrition counseling; and 2
WHEREAS, statewide campaigns include public health messaging and clinical 3
education with workforce -focused resources to directly impact the population through 4
meaningful clinical encounters in provider -patient interactions and educational 5
environments; and 6
WHEREAS, a Kentucky coalition of medical, educational, and adjacent 7
organizations addresses healthy lifestyle fundamentals and nutrition interventions to treat 8
obesity, address chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, and diet -related risk 9
factors as part of pre-clinical, clinical, and continuing medical education curriculum; and 10
WHEREAS, Kentucky is a distinguished leader in the pursuit of Making America 11
Healthy Again; 12
NOW, THEREFORE, 13
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 14
Section 1. The General Assembly hereby directs state agencies to deploy 15
policies that support a focus on healthy lifestyles and evidence -based nutrition 16
interventions in all health and medical education for students and active health 17
professionals and specifically directs: 18
(1) The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, the Kentucky Board of Nursing, 19
the Kentucky Department for Public Health, and the Kentucky Department of Education 20
to collaborate with the Kentucky Hospital Association, the Kentucky Primary Care 21
Association, and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to: 22
(a) Guide a coalition of the medical, educational, and adjacent organizations to 23
assist with the implementation of the ACLM Statewide Fundamentals continuing medical 24
education provider training pilot program;[ and] 25
(b) Support the goal of the pilot program which is to apply nutrition and lifestyle -26
based interventions as part of routine health care by: 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1585
Page 3 of 4
XXXX 2/9/2026 3:13 PM Jacketed
1. Providing certification -ready training to approximately 10% of Kentucky’s 1
healthcare workforce, or approximately 24,000 healthcare professionals, including 250 of 2
whom practice in rural areas, including medical doctors, doctors of osteopathic medicine, 3
advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants; and 4
2. Providing ACLM’s foun dational Lifestyle Medicine and Food Is Medicine 5
training to 2% of Kentucky educators, or approximately 1,000 education sector 6
employees, including K -12 school health education teachers and school food service 7
directors; and 8
(c) Support a pre- and post-engagement study of the pilot program conducted by 9
the ACLM that will: 10
1. Employ a benchmark and evaluation tool focused on healthcare and education 11
workforce participants and their nutrition and lifestyle medicine acumen; and 12
2. Demonstrate the impact and ef ficacy of the training to ensure the training 13
results in clinical preparedness and the appropriate knowledge to promote long -term 14
clinical integration and population health outcome improvement; 15
(2) The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, the Kentucky Boar d of Nursing, 16
and the Kentucky Department of Education to integrate the components of the pilot 17
program as a primary priority and credential the components in compliance with 18
Kentucky medical and continuing education standards; 19
(3) The Kentucky Board of Me dical Licensure to coordinate with the Kentucky 20
Association of Naturopathic Physicians on a licensure pathway and administrative 21
regulation framework for naturopathic physicians to practice in the Commonwealth; 22
(4) The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure t o report on the progress of 23
activities under subsections (2) and (3) of this section to the General Assembly by 24
December 1, 2026, and December 1, 2027; 25
(5) The Kentucky Board of Nursing and the Kentucky Department of Education 26
to report on the progress of activities under subsection (2) of this section to the General 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1585
Page 4 of 4
XXXX 2/9/2026 3:13 PM Jacketed
Assembly by December 1, 2026, and December 1, 2027; and 1
(6) The Department for Public Health to: 2
(a) Participate in the pilot program to facilitate and assist outreach and education; 3
(b) Integrate the six lifestyle medicine pillars as appropriate, into public health 4
programs and policies;[ and] 5
(c) By August 1, 2026, coordinate a funding agreement for a total $6,262,000 for 6
the ACLM Statewide Fundamentals continuing medical education provider training pilot 7
program, between: 8
1. Appropriate stakeholders and partners with a proposed one-time investment of 9
15% or $962,000; and 10
2. The ACLM with a committed private donation to Kentucky of 85%, or 11
$5,300,000; and 12
(d) Report to the General Assembly b y December 1, 2026, and December 1, 13
2027, on the status of the activities under this subsection and subsection (1) of this 14
section. 15