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NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Church Dec. 11, 2007 NEW STATEWIDE EYE EXAM LEGISLATION (WARRENSBURG, Mo.) - The commission hasn’t been appointed yet and the guidelines aren’t in place, but that hasn’t stopped progress toward the recently enacted state legislation that public school students in the primary grades receive vision examinations beginning in the next school year. Warrensburg optometrist Dr. Mark Curtis – working with State Rep. David Pearce (R-Warrensburg) and Joyce Baker, executive director of the Missouri Optometric Association – has planned the first meeting on educating school officials, optometrists and others on the measure. Senate Bill 16, passed in the past legislative session, stipulates that public school children receive a comprehensive eye examination during kindergarten or first grade. It also instructs school districts to conduct student vision screenings before completion of the first grade and again in third grade. The measure was handled by Sen. Delbert Scott (R-Lowry City) during the general session and signed by Gov. Matt Blunt in June. Pearce handled the House version of the bill. Curtis, Baker and Pearce have put together a training session for school district nurses, administrators, optometrists, ophthalmologists and county health department employees in Johnson County. The afternoon session will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17, at South East Elementary School in Warrensburg. “This legislation is really a win-win,” Pearce said. “Some schools may already offer eye screenings, but many do not. It’s been random. Because good vision is an integral component of children’s success, we need to make sure we have a coordinated approach to identifying and treating vision problems early on.” According to the measure, which took effective Aug. 28, the exam must be done by an eye doctor. During drafting of the legislation, many optometrists committed to providing free exams or holding an open house event specifically for that purpose. The measure also provides funding for follow-up care in cases where students aren’t covered by public or private health insurance. The funding will come from the state’s Blindness Education, Screening and Treatment Program Fund. However, Curtis said it was unlikely much funding will be needed, based on the experience of other states with similar requirements. “We’re not the first state to pass this law,” he said. “When Kentucky passed it in 2000, the state legislature set aside $150,000 every year to fund eye exams and glasses. One year, they used $15,000. Another year, they used $3,000. They used so little funding because so many groups donated to the effort – doctors, social clubs, charitable organizations.” Curtis said he hopes next week’s training session will serve as a prototype for other optometrists to present in their home counties. The information will be shared during the Jan. 14 Missouri Optometric Association Legislative Conference in Jefferson City. The Missouri measure also mandates the creation of a seven-member Children’s Vision Commission. Members are to include two ophthalmologists, two optometrists, one school nurse, one representative from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and one from the Missouri School Boards Association. Pearce, Scott and the Missouri Optometric Association are awaiting Blunt’s selection of appointees, which do not require Senate confirmation. Rep. Pearce (R-Warrensburg) is serving his third term in the House of Representatives. In August, he announced his intention to seek election in the 31st Senatorial District, which includes Cass, Bates, Vernon and Johnson counties in western Missouri. # # # |