Committee advances bill allowing credentialed optometrists to perform select laser procedures

The committee voted 9–0 to advance House Bill 36, which would authorize the New Mexico Optometry Board to develop credentialing and certification requirements allowing optometrists to perform specified in‑office laser procedures for treatment of posterior capsular opacification (post‑cataract clouding) and certain glaucoma laser treatments.

Sponsor testimony and numerous optometrists told senators the procedures are low‑risk, commonly performed in other states and often required on a timely basis; supporters said a lack of local ophthalmology capacity forces patients in rural areas to travel long distances. “If this legislature trusted optometrists to perform more complex surgeries nearly two decades ago, why deny patients access to safer, less invasive treatments now?” optometrist Tracy Ho told the committee.

Medical associations, ophthalmologists and hospital‑affiliated physician groups strongly opposed the measure. Witnesses said the eye is delicate, complications can be serious, and physician training and surgical residency experience are not substitutable by short credentialing programs. Opponents asked for explicit credentialing curriculum, minimum supervised‑case requirements, reporting of adverse outcomes and a requirement for emergency escalation to ophthalmologists when complications occur.

The bill as drafted removes a provision for intravitreal drug placement and instead focuses on commonly performed in‑office laser capsulotomy and glaucoma lasers; the substitute explicitly gives the Optometry Board authority to set credentialing standards and ongoing oversight. After extended debate and public testimony that included urban and rural clinicians, the committee recorded a unanimous 9–0 recommendation to advance the bill.