Witnesses tell committee Senate Bill 64 would expand optometrist authority to ease access, with training safeguards

MONTPELIER — Supporters of Senate Bill 64 told the Government Operations & Military Affairs committee on May 7 that the proposal to expand optometrists’ scope of practice would improve access to care in Vermont while including strict training and oversight requirements.

Kelsey George, a senior policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures, briefed the committee on how states regulate optometrists and the variation in licensure and scope-of-practice rules. George said many states require the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exams and that continuing-education and supervised clinical-hour requirements vary widely; she cited examples ranging from about 10 to 1,000 supervised hours identified in statutes or administrative rules. “NCSL staff like myself are nonpartisan, and we do not take position for or against any state policy,” George told the committee as she reviewed maps showing which states allow laser privileges, injections and expanded prescriptive authority.

George said Senate Bill 64 would allow optometrists to prescribe or administer…