Optometrists, college faculty and students asked the Joint Committee on Public Health to issue a favorable report on legislation that would modernize optometry licensing language and consolidate multiple licensure tiers. Dr. Jennifer D'Amico, an optometrist and professor, said the bill updates archaic requirements, replaces gendered and outdated language and merges four licensing tiers into a single modern standard. "No new scope of practice is added under this legislation," she said, adding the bill raises penalties for unlicensed practice and clarifies board membership rules.New England College of Optometry President Howard Purcell and a student speaker described why faculty should be eligible to serve on the state board and why clearer licensing would help keep graduates in Massachusetts. The colleges said outdated references remain in statute, including a high‑school diploma requirement for a doctoral program.The Massachusetts Medical Society and an ophthalmologist testified in opposition, warning the bill's language could blur distinctions between optometrists and medical doctors. Grayson Armstrong, speaking for the Massachusetts Medical Society, said the term "optometric physician" was misleading because optometrists do not graduate from medical school and are regulated by the Board of Registration in Optometry. The Medical Society urged the committee not to advance the bill unless language is tightened to avoid implying medical‑doctor training for non‑physicians.The committee heard both sides and several technical clarifications; no formal vote was recorded in the hearing transcript.