BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
SB 1215 (Emmerson) - Optometry
Amended: April 12, 2012 Policy Vote: BP&ED 8-0
Urgency: No Mandate: Yes
Hearing Date: April 30, 2012
Consultant: Jennifer Douglas
This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill Summary: SB 1215 would allow an optometrist retiring from
practice to be issued a retired license by the State Board of
Optometry. The holder of a retired license would be prohibited
from engaging in the practice of optometry, would no longer be
required to complete continuing education and would be
authorized to reactivate their license upon repayment of a
reactivation fee. The bill also allows an optometrist retiring
from practice to be issued a retired license with a volunteer
service designation. The holder would be subject to biennial
renewal requirements and would be required to complete
continuing education, as specified. Because the bill would
direct the deposit of these fees into the Optometry Fund, a
continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an
appropriation.
SB 1215 also amends the address notifications for an
optometrist's place of practice and temporary practice.
Fiscal Impact:
Minor increase of estimated $3,750 in license fee revenue
to the State Optometry Fund, ongoing; assuming no change in
number of inactive licenses issued annually.
Minimal costs for clarification of address notifications
and place of practice requirements.
Background: The Optometry Practice Act, provides for the
licensure and regulation of the practice of optometry by the
State Board of Optometry. Currently, if an optometrist wants to
retire from practice they can be issued an inactive license and
are required to pay a biennial renewal fee of $425, the same as
for an active license. Or, an optometrist retiring from
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practice can choose not to pay their licensing fees and have
their license expire and are considered delinquent until the
license is cancelled after three years. A license status of
delinquent or cancelled has a negative connotation and does not
accurately reflect a retired licensee's status to consumers.
Several other Boards offer a retired license designation,
including the Medical Board of California, the Respiratory Care
Board and the Board of Pharmacy.
Related Legislation: AB 2848 (Hernandez) 2008 would have created
a retired license status for optometrist, but did not define a
means for a retired license to return to active status. The
bill died in the Senate.
Staff Comments: The fiscal impact of changes in licensing status
and fees can vary widely. The board may see a minor increase in
revenue from optometrists who choose a retired license or
retired license with volunteer service designation (volunteer
license) rather than let their license become expired and
eventually cancelled, which currently results in no revenue to
the board. For example, if 250 optometrists retire annually and
20 percent (50) choose to pay $425 for an inactive license
another 80 percent (200) are allowing their license to expire.
Preliminary data indicates that some optometrists choose to
obtain an inactive license when they want to retire and this
analysis assumes that they would want to continue to obtain an
inactive license. Under this bill optometrists who would have
chosen to let their license expire now have the additional
option of either obtaining a retired license or a volunteer
license. If 20 percent (50) now choose a retired license for a
one-time fee of $25 that would result in $1,250 in additional
revenue to the board and if another 20 percent (50) now choose a
volunteer license for $50 that would be $2,500 that board would
now be receiving biennially through renewal fees, for a total
revenue increase of $3,750.
There appear to be minimal costs associated with the Statement
of Licensure provision related to place of practice and address
notification.
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