BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1172
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 6, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 1172 (Steinberg) - As Amended: April 23, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:6-0
Health 16-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
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 the 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
students' eyes, and adds this observation to the current
requirement that school nurses and classroom teachers observe
students' eyes, visual performance, and perception.
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, and grades 2, 5 and 8.
4)Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to adopt
guidelines to implement this bill, including training
requirements and a method of testing for near vision.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Minor, absorbable costs to CDE to update the existing vision
screening guide.
2)Unknown, potentially significant reimbursable state mandated
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costs for school districts to administer additional vision
screenings and to expand the scope of the screenings to
include near vision.
Current law requires vision screenings to be administered upon
a student's enrollment, and at least every third year through
8th grade. For a student who enrolls in kindergarten, the
screening requirement would be, minimally: kindergarten, 3rd
grade, and 6th grade, for a total of three administrations.
This bill requires screenings during the kindergarten year or
upon first enrollment or entry in a California school, and in
grades 2, 5, and 8.
According to the Commission on State Mandates (CSM), there are
no pending test claims nor is there a past mandate
determination on the current vision screening requirements.
This bill requires additional screenings and expands the scope
of screenings. It is difficult to predict whether districts
will file cost claims for the additional requirements of this
bill. The CSM would also need to determine if the
requirements of the bill constitute a higher level of service.
For illustration, if one-third of the nearly 1,000 school
districts claimed the $1,000 minimum mandate, state costs
could be approximately $300,000.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, near vision deficiencies
may be interfering with a child's ability to read. Research
has shown that third grade reading scores are highly
correlated with later academic success. Some research
indicates that reading proficiency at the end of third grade
marks the transition for "learning to read" to "reading to
learn." While the primary factors that led to low-level of
reading skills among low-income children were socioeconomic
factors and the studies found that preschool programs reversed
this trend, the lack of health care was also identified as a
factor. Lack of health care could result in undiagnosed
vision problems.
This bill requires tests for visual acuity to include near
vision, which is recommended but not required as an additional
procedure in CDE's Guide for Vision Testing in California
Public Schools. This bill requires the CDE to adopt
guidelines to implement this bill, including a method of
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testing for near vision.
2)Related legislation. AB 1840 (Campos), 2014, pending in the
Senate Appropriations Committee, adds a trained individual,
who meets specified requirements, to those who can perform
gross external observation of a child's eyes, visual
performance, and perception. Permits a child's vision to be
appraised using an eye chart or any other scientifically
validated screening test.
Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081