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House approves $1 driver-license checkoff to support blindness prevention
Summary
The House approved a voluntary $1 donation option on motor vehicle and driver-license renewals to fund a private blindness-prevention group, citing prevention potential and no state appropriation; the bill passed 56–15 and moves to the Senate.
Representative Bradshaw, the sponsor of House Bill 33, told the House the measure would place an optional $1 checkoff on motor vehicle registration and driver-license renewal forms to benefit a private blindness-prevention organization. "50 percent of all blindness is preventable, and 9 of every 10 eye injuries are preventable," she said, urging members to support early screening and education.
The sponsor framed the proposal as cost-neutral to the state: she said the program does not request state funding and "Prevent Blindness ... relies totally on contributions." She cited economic and program figures, telling members the annual government cost per person who loses sight is about $19,000 and that blindness costs Utah taxpayers roughly $12,000,000 a year. Fiscal estimates presented to the committee put initial implementation costs at about $1,000 for the driver's license division and $3,500 with an additional $5,000 ongoing processing cost for the tax commission. The sponsor and members noted an early participation estimate of about 40,000 people electing to give $1 in the first year.
Representatives asked several questions about administration and oversight. Representative Bridal asked whether the recipient was a state organization or a voluntary organization; the sponsor replied it would be a voluntary organization and that contributions would go into the FOS fund (Save Our Sight) to be distributed to prevent blindness. Representative Bradshaw also pointed to the group's preschool screening activities and an offer to provide glaucoma testing at the Capitol as part of outreach.
After a brief floor discussion and summation by the sponsor, the House voted on House Bill 33. Voting was closed; the bill "having received 56 yes votes and 15 no votes," passed the House and was referred to the Senate for further action.
The bill does not appropriate state funds; implementation costs quoted in the fiscal note were described as administrative processing expenses. The measure directs the inclusion of a voluntary donation option on renewal forms rather than creating an ongoing state-funded program.
The House sent the bill to the Senate for consideration.
