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Utah House debates title 'optometric physician' in Optometry Practice Act; amendment fails, bill passes
Summary
Lawmakers debated whether to remove the phrase 'optometric physician' from the Optometry Practice Act, with supporters saying the title reflects training and federal usage and opponents warning it could confuse patients and affect pay; an amendment to delete the phrase failed and the bill passed 66–3.
The Utah House on Feb. 5 debated Senate Bill 20, the Optometry Practice Act, focusing on a proposed amendment to remove the phrase “optometric physician” from the bill.
Representative Dayton moved to delete lines 15–16 on page 3 to prevent use of the term “physician” for optometrists, arguing the title should be reserved for those who attended medical school. Dayton said the title "confuses the public" and "will increase the amount of pay that the insurance companies can give" to those labeled physicians, and that legislative use of the…
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