Legislative Affairs
Children's Vision Law
In 2007, the Missouri Legislature passed Senate Bill 16, which 'Provides that each child enrolled in kindergarten or first grade is to receive a comprehensive vision examination.'
The legislation contained several provisions, including:
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Beginning July 1, 2008, every child enrolling in kindergarten or first grade shall receive one comprehensive vision examination performed by a state licensed optometrist or physician.
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Required the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Health and Senior Services to compile and maintain a list of sources to which children who may need vision examinations or children who have been found to need further examination or vision correction may be referred for treatment on a free or reduced cost basis. A child may be excused from taking a vision examination by submitting a written request to the appropriate school administrator
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Beginning July 1, 2008, all public school districts shall conduct an eye screening for each student once before the completion of first grade and again before the completion of third grade. The eye screening method shall be approved by the Children's Vision Commission, which is established in this act, and shall be performed by an appropriately trained school nurse or other trained and qualified employee of the school district. The screening results, with all identifying information removed, shall be sent, via electronic form, to the Department of Health and Senior Services.
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Created the Children's Vision Commission, which is composed of seven members including two ophthalmologists, two optometrists, one school nurse, one representative from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and one from the Missouri State School Boards Association.
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Altered the statutorily-allowed uses for the "Blindness Education Screening and Treatment Program Fund." The fund shall cover additional costs for vision examinations under this act that are not covered by existing public health insurance. Subject to appropriations, moneys from the fund shall be used to pay for those additional costs, provided that the costs from the fund not exceed ninety-nine thousand dollars a year.
To view, the complete bill as passed, please click here.
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Adopt standardized eye screening and examination tests, reporting forms, and appropriate training programs for school district staff.
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Conduct a pilot project to track the results of the eye screening versus eye examinations conducted based on the reports submitted by school districts to the Department of Health and Senior Services.
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By December 31, 2011, submit a report to the General Assembly detailing the results of the study along with data on the number of students who received a follow-up examination from an optometrist, ophthalmologist, physician, or doctor of osteopathy and the results of those examinations to determine the effectiveness of eye examinations versus eye screening.
Duties
Contact Information
Missouri Department of Health930 Wildwood, P.O. Box 570Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570Phone: (573) 751-6213Fax: (573) 751-1179E-Mail: marjorie.cole@dhss.mo.govDirector: Marjorie Cole
Members of Commission
Mrs. Deborah K. Cook
Kennett, Missouri
Dr. Roger D. Dorson
Salisbury, Missouri
Dr. Michael C. Frier
El Dorado Springs, Missouri
Dr. Oscar A. Cruz
Ballwin, Missouri
Dr. Timothy A. Wingert
St. Louis, Missouri
Dr. James G. Luetkemeyer
Lohman, Missouri
Dr. Kim G. Ratcliffe
Columbia, Missouri
Forms
Developed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services with advice from members of the Children's Vision Commission, the following forms were created for use by Missouri eye care providers.