Representative Nguyen backs Friends for Sight request to expand no-cost school vision care
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Summary
Friends for Sight asked the Social Services Appropriations subcommittee for funds to expand free vision screenings, on-site eye exams and glasses for uninsured students across Utah, citing more than 61,000 screenings in 500 schools last year and a goal to reach rural areas.
Representative Nguyen introduced Friends for Sight to the committee as her sole request for appropriations this year and emphasized the nonprofit’s long history of school-based vision work. "This is the only RFA that I have put in this this year because I believe so much in what they are doing," she said.
Jamie Justice, executive director of Friends for Sight, told the committee the organization has provided no-cost vision screenings for children in Utah for decades. "We've visited 500 schools and provided over 61,000 vision screenings," Justice said, and added the nonprofit now brings free eye exams and glasses to uninsured students by partnering with volunteer optometrists.
The group asked the committee for funding to expand clinic capacity, nearly double the number of large-scale "site fests" that can screen 60–100 students per day, and pilot smaller "site care" visits and a "site pass" model to connect children with local optometrists for follow-up care. Justice described a three‑part approach: larger events, small one‑lane clinics for smaller schools, and partnerships to reimburse or secure pro bono local care.
Committee members asked whether similar services exist elsewhere and if the nonprofit reached rural communities. Justice said some providers bill Medicaid and other insurers, but Friends for Sight uniquely targets uninsured children and already travels to rural Utah. Representative Fia Fia and others expressed support for the program and appreciation for its statewide reach.
The presentation concluded with committee thanks and no immediate action; presenters offered to provide further details if requested. The committee did not take a formal vote on the request during the meeting.
