House Study Bill 122 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON MILLER) A BILL FOR An Act providing for vision screening for school children. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 2014HC (2) 85 je/nh

H.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 135.39D Vision screening. 1 1. By January 1 after the start of the school year that a 2 child enrolls in kindergarten and by January 1 after the start 3 of the school year that a child enrolls in grade three, in 4 a public or nonpublic school, the parent or guardian of the 5 child shall present to school personnel certification that the 6 child within the previous twelve months has undergone an eye 7 examination, and the results of the examination. 8 2. The requirement for an eye examination may be satisfied 9 by any of the following: 10 a. A vision screening or comprehensive eye examination by a 11 licensed ophthalmologist or licensed optometrist. 12 b. An eye chart screening conducted at a pediatrician’s 13 or family practice physician’s office, a free clinic, or the 14 child’s school. 15 c. An online vision screening through a program approved by 16 the director. An online vision screening may be conducted by 17 a child’s parent or guardian. 18 3. A child shall not be prohibited from attending school 19 based upon the failure of a parent or guardian to present to 20 school personnel the documentation required by subsection 1. 21 4. The department shall establish procedures to contact 22 parents or guardians of children in need of vision correction 23 based on the results of an eye examination required under 24 subsection 1 in order to provide information on obtaining 25 necessary vision correction. The department shall consider use 26 of the statewide immunization registry or a private contractor 27 as a means of identifying and contacting the parents or 28 guardians of such children. 29 5. The department shall adopt rules to administer this 30 section. 31 EXPLANATION 32 This bill requires the parent or guardian of a child in 33 a public or nonpublic school to present certification that 34 the child within the previous 12 months has undergone an eye 35 -1- LSB 2014HC (2) 85 je/nh 1/ 2

H.F. _____ examination, and the results of the examination, to school 1 personnel by January 1 after the start of the school year that 2 the child enrolls in kindergarten and by January 1 after the 3 start of the school year that the child enrolls in grade three. 4 The eye examination requirement may be satisfied by a vision 5 screening or comprehensive eye examination by a licensed 6 ophthalmologist or licensed optometrist; an eye chart screening 7 conducted at a pediatrician’s or family practice physician’s 8 office, a free clinic, or the child’s school; or an online 9 vision screening through a program approved by the director of 10 the department of public health, which may be conducted by a 11 child’s parent or guardian. 12 The bill specifies that a child cannot be prohibited from 13 attending school based upon the failure of a parent or guardian 14 to present the required documentation to school personnel. 15 The bill requires the department of public health to 16 establish procedures to contact parents or guardians of 17 children in need of vision correction based on the results of 18 an eye examination required by the bill in order to provide 19 information on obtaining necessary vision correction. The 20 bill directs the department to consider use of the statewide 21 immunization registry or a private contractor as a means of 22 identifying and contacting the parents or guardians of such 23 children. 24 -2- LSB 2014HC (2) 85 je/nh 2/ 2