SB 496, as introduced, Nguyen. Optometry: graduates of a foreign university: examinations.
Existing law, the Optometry Practice Act, creates the State Board of Optometry, which licenses optometrists and regulates their practice. Existing law provides that the State Board of Optometry is required, by regulation, to establish educational and examination requirements for licensure to ensure the competence of optometrists to practice. Existing law requires an applicant for licensure to submit an application that is provided under oath and to pay a prescribed fee. All fees are deposited in the Optometry Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the board to administer the act. Any violation of the act is a crime.
Existing law authorizes the board to permit a graduate of a foreign university who meets specified requirements to take the examinations for an optometrist license.
This bill would revise the license examination requirements for a graduate of a foreign university to, among other things, require submission of an application and payment of a prescribed fee. By increasing the amount of moneys deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. Because the application would be required to be provided under oath, this bill would expand the scope of an existing crime and create a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 3057.5 of the Business and Professions
2Code is amended to read:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insertNotwithstanding any other provision of this
4chapter, the board shall permit a graduate of a foreign university
5who meets all of the following requirements to take the
6examinations for an optometrist license:
7(a)
end delete8begin insert(1)end insert Is over 18 years of age.
9(b)
end delete10begin insert(2)end insert Is not subject to denial of a license under Section 480.
11(c)
end delete
12begin insert(3)end insert Hasbegin delete aend deletebegin insert obtained any of the following:end insert
13begin insert(A)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertAend insert
degree as a doctor of optometry issued by a university
14located outside of the United States.
15(B) A degree from a school of optometry program located
16outside of the United States that has a minimum of a four year or
17equivalent curriculum leading to an optometry license in the
18country where the program is located.
19(C) A degree from a school of medicine located outside of the
20United States and completed the necessary requirements to practice
21in the field of ophthalmology in the country where the school of
22medicine is located.
23(4) Submits an application to obtain a letter of sponsorship on
24a form approved by the board.
25(5) Pays to the board the fee for an application for licensure
26prescribed in subdivision (a) of Section 3152.
27(b) (1) A graduate of a foreign university shall provide to the
28board any supporting documents requested by the board to
29establish that the requirement of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a)
30has been met. These supporting documents may include, but are
P3 1not limited to, a curriculum vitae, official examination score,
2certificate of optometric or medical education, official school
3transcript, certified copy of optometric or medical diploma, official
4English translation, certificate of completion of post graduate
5training, and certificate of
clinical training.
6(2) Every document provided pursuant to this subdivision shall
7be in English or translated into English by a certified United States
8translation service approved by the board.
9(c) The board shall require a graduate of a foreign university
10to obtain an evaluation of his or her official school transcript by
11an education evaluation service approved by the board. The board
12shall determine from the evaluation whether the applicant has met
13the educational requirements that are reasonable and necessary
14to ensure that an optometrist has the knowledge to adequately
15protect the public health and safety.
16(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), if a
17graduate of a foreign university does not meet the educational
18requirements that are reasonable and necessary to ensure that an
19optometrist has the
knowledge to adequately protect the public
20health and safety, the board may establish alternative education
21requirements for the graduate of a foreign university to meet in
22order to ensure this knowledge. A graduate of a foreign university
23shall provide any supporting documents requested by the board
24to establish that these requirements are met.
25(e) The board shall issue a letter of sponsorship, or its
26equivalent, required by the National Board of Examiners in
27Optometry, or its equivalent, to permit a graduate of a foreign
28university to take all examinations required for licensure. This
29letter of sponsorship shall expire two years from the date of
30issuance.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
32Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
33the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
34district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
35infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
36for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
37the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
P4 1the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
2Constitution.
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