BILL ANALYSIS
AB 602
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 31, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS
Mary Hayashi, Chair
AB 602 (Price) - As Amended: March 25, 2009
SUBJECT : Dispensing opticians.
SUMMARY : Authorizes dispensing opticians to register
biennially with the Medical Board of California (MBC).
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires a registered dispensing optician (RDO) to register
biennially with the MBC.
2)Permits an individual, corporation, and firm to provide an
address to the board at which to receive application, and
renewal materials, if different from the place of business.
The board shall send all application and renewal materials to
that address.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that the right to dispense, sell, or furnish
prescription lenses at retail to the person named in a
prescription is limited to physicians and surgeons,
optometrists, and RDOs.
2)Provides for the regulation of dispensing opticians by the
MBC, and requires a person engaging in the business of a
dispensing optician to be registered biennially with the MBC.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Purpose of this bill . According to the author's office, "There
are thousands of opticians in California practicing at hundreds
of locations throughout the state, including LensCrafters,
WalMart, Site for Sore Eyes, Kaiser, private offices, and large
dispensaries?. Under current law, opticians are regulated by the
MBC. They are required to register with the MBC biennially to
ensure they comply with the statutory requirements and
procedures outlined.
AB 602
Page 2
"Registration materials are sent directly to each registered
location at varying times of the year. For LensCrafters, this
means materials are sent to over 100 busy stores across the
state at different times, creating confusion, and in some
circumstances, delay in the registration process.
"To increase the efficiency of the registration process, AB 602
(Price) will allow the department to accept a corporate mailing
address for the purpose of mailing registration materials to the
corporate office. The bill would also clarify the registration
process would occur biennially."
Background . According to the MBC, it is current practice for a
RDO to register biennially. This is not currently reflected in
statute, so the author is seeking to clarify the time period on
record.
Also not in statute or regulations, but on the RDO registration
form, is a specific note that certificates and certificate
renewals will only be sent to a store's address of record,
regardless of the existence of a separate headquarters liaison.
The sponsor is seeking to encourage the MBC to send mailings
related to registration to a central headquarters, rather than
to the various optical offices. The sponsor claims that many
larger optical chains would benefit from the ability to have one
central mailing address for their California businesses.
Currently, registration forms are sent to individual offices,
which then must be sent to a headquarters to coordinate renewal.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
LensCrafters (sponsor)
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Sarah Huchel / B. & P. / (916) 319-3301