House File 2544 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2055) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to student eye care and providing an 2 applicability date. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5776HV 82 5 ak/rj/24 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.7A STUDENT EYE CARE. 1 2 1. A parent or guardian who registers a child for 1 3 kindergarten or a preschool program shall be given a student 1 4 vision card. 1 5 2. Prior to being evaluated for special education services 1 6 pursuant to chapter 256B, a student shall receive an eye 1 7 examination by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist. A 1 8 parent or guardian is responsible for ensuring a student 1 9 receives an eye examination if required under this subsection. 1 10 3. Area education agencies, pursuant to section 273.3, 1 11 shall make every effort to provide, in collaboration with 1 12 local community organizations, vision screening services to 1 13 children ages two through four. 1 14 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 1 15 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 1 16 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 1 17 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 1 18 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 1 19 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 1 20 to meet all the state funding=related requirements of section 1 21 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be 1 22 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and 1 23 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts. 1 24 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY DATE. This Act applies to school 1 25 years beginning on or after July 1, 2009. 1 26 EXPLANATION 1 27 This bill requires that a parent or guardian receive a 1 28 student vision card when a child is registered for 1 29 kindergarten or a preschool program. 1 30 The bill requires that prior to being evaluated for special 1 31 education services, a student must receive an eye examination 1 32 by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist; ensuring that 1 33 the examination is conducted is the responsibility of the 1 34 student's parent or guardian. 1 35 Area education agencies are directed to collaborate with 2 1 local organizations to provide vision screenings to children 2 2 ages two through four. 2 3 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 2 4 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any 2 5 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 2 6 district from state school foundation aid received by the 2 7 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 2 8 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state 2 9 mandate funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2. 2 10 The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate 2 11 the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any 2 12 state mandates included in the bill. 2 13 LSB 5776HV 82 2 14 ak/rj/24