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Senate Health Committee hears sponsor testimony on optometry scope modernization bill
Summary
Sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 36, titled the Primary Eye Care Modernization Act, described updates to the scope of practice for optometrists including certain in-office laser and lid lesion procedures and pharmaceutical rule changes; senators discussed training and a possible periodic review amendment.
A sponsor of Senate Bill 36 presented the Primary Eye Care Modernization Act to the Senate Health Committee as the first update to Ohio's optometry scope in 17 years, describing incremental changes that would expand some noninvasive procedures and update pharmaceutical rules.
"Senate Bill 36 is measured common sense legislation that seeks to make incremental changes and update the scope of practice of Ohio's optometrists," the sponsor said in testimony presented to Chair Huffman and committee members. The sponsor emphasized patient safety and said the bill would not authorize operating-room procedures such as LASIK or cataract surgery; instead it would permit certain in-office, noninvasive laser procedures and permit optometrists to remove benign lid lesions and update permitted pharmaceutical uses.
The sponsor said the Ohio Optometric Association and Ohio optometry educators supported the measure and noted the Ohio Board of Pharmacy "has no objection to this language" as presented to the committee. The testimony also argued that expanding scope in measured ways could help retain optometry graduates from Ohio State University's college of optometry and make Ohio more competitive with neighboring states that already allow some of the proposed procedures.
Senator Ingram asked whether the committee should require a periodic review by the relevant board after making a 17-year change in scope. The sponsor responded that practitioners would need incremental additional training to perform new procedures and said optometrists already trained in other states should be able to practice here with appropriate certification. Ingram offered to sponsor an amendment to require review every several years; the sponsor agreed such an amendment could be acceptable.
Why it matters: The bill would update scope-of-practice rules that determine what procedures optometrists may perform, affecting workforce recruitment and patient access to eye care, particularly outside surgical settings. Committee members focused questions on training, certification and whether the bill should include explicit periodic review language.
