BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1172|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1172
Author: Steinberg (D), et al.
Amended: 4/23/14
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 4/30/14
AYES: Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Galgiani, Hancock, Hueso,
Huff, Monning
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/23/14
AYES: De Le�n, Walters, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
SUBJECT : Pupil health: vision appraisals
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires school vision appraisals to
include tests for near vision, and expands current requirements
for school nurses and teachers to observe students eyes to also
include observation of the appearance and behavior of student's
eyes, and requires observation to be continual and regular, as
specified.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Requires school districts to provide for the testing of the
sight and hearing of each student enrolled in the district.
The test is to be given only by:
A. Duly qualified supervisors of health employed by the
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school district.
B. Certificated employees of the school district or county
office of education who possess the qualifications
prescribed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
C. Contract with an agency duly authorized to perform those
services by the county superintendent of schools, under
guidelines established by the State Board of Education.
D. Accredited schools or colleges or optometry, osteopathic
medicine, or medicine.
1.Provides that non-medical certificated employees of a school
district or county office of education may be authorized to
give vision tests if the employee has one of the following
documents:
A. A statement from a qualified supervisor of health that
the employee has satisfactorily completed an acceptable
course of in-service in techniques and procedures in vision
testing of at least six hours, and that the employee is
qualified to administer vision tests to students.
B. A transcript from an accredited college or university
evidencing that the employee has successfully completed an
acceptable course in vision testing of at least one
semester unit.
1.Requires, upon first enrollment in an elementary school, and
at least every third year thereafter until the child has
completed grade 8, the vision of students to be appraised by
the school nurse or other authorized person. The evaluation
must include tests for visual acuity and color vision,
however, color vision is to be appraised once and only on male
students. Gross external observation of the child's eyes,
visual performance, and perception are to be done by the
school nurse and the classroom teacher. The evaluation may be
waived if the parents present a certificate from a physician
and surgeon, a physician assistant or an optometrist, and
parents may opt-out based on religious beliefs.
2.Requires a report to be made to the parent when a visual or
other defect has been noted by the supervisor of health or
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his/her assistant.
This bill requires school vision appraisals to include tests for
near vision, and expands current requirements for school nurses
and teachers to observe student's eyes to also include
observation of the appearance and behavior of student's eyes,
and requires observation to be continual and regular.
Specifically, this bill:
1.Adds appraisal of near vision to currently-required tests for
visual acuity and color vision.
2.Adds the observation of the appearance and behavior of
student's eyes, and specifies that this observation is to be
continual and regular, to the current requirement that school
nurses and classroom teachers observe student's eyes, visual
performance, and perception. This bill also provides that
observations of these eye functions may indicate vision
difficulties.
3.Modifies the frequency of vision appraisals from upon first
enrollment and at least every third year thereafter until the
student has completed grade 8, to kindergarten or upon first
enrollment, grades 2, 5 and 8, as specified. This bill
provides that a student whose first enrollment occurs in grade
4 or 7 is not required to be appraised in the following year.
4.Requires the California Department of Education to adopt
guidelines to implement this bill, including training
requirements and a method of testing for near vision.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Vision testing requirements: Potentially substantial
reimbursable mandate to increase the number of required
vision tests, and the scope of those tests.
Continual monitoring: The requirement for "continual and
regular observation of the pupil's eyes" by teachers and
school nurses could result in significant local costs, and
could be an additional reimbursable mandate to the extent
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that costs could be proven.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/23/14)
American Civil Liberties Union
PQ:nl 5/25/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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