California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1253


Introduced by Assembly Member Steinorth

February 27, 2015


An act to amend Section 3151.1 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to optometry.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1253, as introduced, Steinorth. Optometry: license: retired volunteer service designation.

The Optometry Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of optometry by the State Board of Optometry and makes a violation of the act a crime. The act requires the board to issue, upon application and payment of a specified fee, a retired license to an optometrist with a current and active license, and prohibits the holder of a retired license from engaging in the practice of optometry. The act authorizes the holder of a retired license issued for less than 3 years to reactivate the license to active status if certain requirements have been met, including, the filing of an application for reactivation on a form prescribed by the board. The act authorizes the holder of a retired license issued for more than 3 years to reactivate the license to active status if certain additional requirements have been met, including, that the holder of the retired license passes both the National Board of Examiners in Optometry’s Clinical Skills examination, or other clinical examination approved by the board, and the board’s jurisprudence examination. The act requires the board to issue a license with retired volunteer service designation to an optometrist who holds a retired license or a license that is current and active upon application and payment of a specified fee if the applicant certifies that he or she has completed the required continuing education hours. The act requires the applicant for a license with retired volunteer service designation to, among other things, certify that the sole purpose of the license with retired volunteer service designation is to provide voluntary, unpaid optometric services at health fairs, vision screenings, and public service eye programs.

This bill would limit the existing requirement that the board issue a license with retired volunteer service designation to an optometrist who holds a retired license to an optometrist who holds a retired license issued for less than 3 years. The bill would require the board to issue, upon application and payment of a specified fee, a license with retired volunteer service designation to an optometrist who holds a retired license issued for 3 years or more, if that licensee meets all the requirements for an optometrist to reactivate his or her retired license issued for more than 3 years, as described above, and satisfies all other requirements of an applicant for a license with retired volunteer service designation.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 3151.1 of the Business and Professions
2Code
is amended to read:

3

3151.1.  

(a) The board shall issue, upon application and
4payment of the fee described in Section 3152, a license with retired
5volunteer service designation to an optometrist who holds a retired
6licensebegin insert issued for less than three yearsend insert or a license that is current
7and active.

begin insert

8(b) The board shall issue, upon application and payment of the
9fee described in Section 3147.6, a license with volunteer service
10designation to the holder of a retired license issued for three years
11or more if he or she satisfies all the requirements of Section 3147.6.

end insert
begin delete

12(b)

end delete

13begin insert(end insertbegin insertc)end insert The applicant shall certify on the application that he or she
14has completed the required number of continuing education hours
15pursuant to Section 3059.

begin delete

16(c)

end delete

17begin insert(end insertbegin insertd)end insert The applicant shall certify on the application that the sole
18purpose of the license with retired volunteer service designation
P3    1is to provide voluntary, unpaid optometric services at health fairs,
2vision screenings, and public service eye programs.

begin delete

3(d)

end delete

4begin insert(end insertbegin inserte)end insert The holder of the retired license with volunteer service
5designation shall submit a biennial renewal application, with a fee
6fixed by this chapter and certify on each renewal that the required
7number of continuing education hours pursuant to Section 3059
8were completed, and certify that the sole purpose of the retired
9license with volunteer service designation is to provide voluntary,
10unpaid services as described in subdivision (c).begin insert Pursuant to Section
113146, the license expires at midnight on the last day of the
12licenseholder’s birth month every two years if not renewed.end insert

begin insert end insert


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