BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1359
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 6, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1359 (Nazarian) - As Introduced February 27, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill revises criteria for obtaining certification to
administer and prescribe therapeutic pharmaceutical agents
(TPAs), for licensed optometrists who graduated from an
accredited optometry school before 1996, and establishes
AB 1359
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separate criteria for those who graduated after 1996.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Negligible state fiscal effect.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. The author explains that after 1996, all optometrists
have graduated with TPA certification. However, those
optometrists who graduated before 1996 have been left with few
pathways to attaining TPA certification because TPA
stand-alone courses have been discontinued. This bill is
sponsored by the Board of Optometry to establish a new process
where a TPA-certified optometrist or ophthalmologist can offer
a didactic course.
2)Background. The TPA designation indicates that the
optometrist is certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical
agents and the optometrist may treat certain conditions of the
human eye, or any of its appendages, with therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents. The optometrist may also perform
certain procedures on the eye.
This bill would require those optometrists who did not receive
continuing education prior to 1996, or who did not graduate
from an educational program that offered TPA focused training,
to work with a preceptor in order to meet the TPA requirement.
3)Prior Legislation. SB 492 (Hernandez) of 2013-14, would have
permitted an optometrist to diagnose, treat, and manage
additional conditions with ocular manifestations, directed the
Board to establish educational and examination requirements
AB 1359
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and permitted optometrists to perform vaccinations and
surgical and non-surgical primary care procedures. That bill
passed this committee with amendments restricting the bill to
vaccination certification, and was not taken up for a vote on
the Assembly Floor.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081