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Senate expands elementary vision screening and adds protocol requirements for follow-up
Summary
First substitute Senate Bill 67 extends school vision screening to one additional year (to age 8), requires parent notification and limited immunity for volunteer screeners, and adopts protocols for identifying conditions not detected by basic screening. The Senate amended and passed the bill.
The Senate passed first substitute Senate Bill 67, which expands routine school vision screening for children and adds requirements for parent notification and follow-up protocols.
Senator Robles, the sponsor, said the bill extends vision screening in public schools so more children — including those who may otherwise slip through screening gaps — are identified early. ‘‘This will just add an extra year, so we can now have from kindergarten to age 8,’’ Robles said, adding that screening remains a preliminary check and is not a full eye exam.
Senator Jerry Stevenson offered Amendment 1 requiring the education division to work with health professionals to develop protocols for identifying conditions not caught in routine screening (for example, convergence insufficiency or visual motor integration issues). Stevenson said those protocols are ‘‘essential’’ to ensure children flagged by screening receive appropriate guidance.
Senator Dayton emphasized parental involvement and urged safeguards around health information collected in schools. ‘‘It’s crucial that we make sure the family remains involved in this process,’’ Dayton said.
The Senate approved the amendment and then passed the first substitute bill by roll call (23 yea, 0 nay, 3 absent). The bill will proceed to the House for consideration.
Next step: The bill will be considered by the House; sponsors and education officials expect rulemaking or guidance to follow to implement the required protocols.
