Bill Text: FL S0614 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Vision Screening of Preschool Students

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2013-05-03 - Died in Education [S0614 Detail]

Download: Florida-2013-S0614-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 614
       
       
       
       By Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       
       38-01136-13                                            2013614__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to vision screening of preschool
    3         students; amending s. 381.0056, F.S.; providing a
    4         definition; requiring district school boards to
    5         conduct vision screenings on students entering
    6         prekindergarten or kindergarten; requiring
    7         comprehensive eye examinations of students who fail to
    8         pass the vision screenings; requiring licensed
    9         optometrists and ophthalmologists to submit
   10         examination results to school health personnel and the
   11         student’s parent or guardian; authorizing the
   12         Department of Health, in cooperation with the
   13         Department of Education, to adopt rules necessary to
   14         implement the vision screening requirements; providing
   15         an effective date.
   16  
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (2) and
   20  paragraph (f) is added to subsection (6) of section 381.0056,
   21  Florida Statutes, and subsection (7) of that section is amended,
   22  to read:
   23         381.0056 School health services program.—
   24         (2) As used in this section:
   25         (g) “Vision screening” means an eye examination conducted
   26  on a student entering prekindergarten or kindergarten as
   27  required under paragraph (6)(f).
   28         (6) The district school board shall:
   29         (f) Within 30 days before the start of each school year, in
   30  cooperation with the Department of Health, conduct vision
   31  screenings of prekindergarten and kindergarten students. The
   32  student’s parent or guardian may present to school health
   33  personnel certification that the student has passed a vision
   34  screening conducted by personnel that have been approved by the
   35  Department of Health and trained in vision screening techniques.
   36  For students who fail to pass the vision screening, a
   37  comprehensive eye examination must be performed by a licensed
   38  optometrist or ophthalmologist chosen by the student’s parent or
   39  guardian. The licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist who
   40  conducts the comprehensive examination shall forward a written
   41  report of the examination results to school health personnel and
   42  provide a copy of the report to the student’s parent or
   43  guardian. The report shall indicate any pertinent diagnosis,
   44  treatment, prognosis, recommendations, and evidence of followup
   45  treatment, if necessary.
   46         (7) The Department of Health, in cooperation with the
   47  Department of Education, may adopt rules necessary to implement
   48  this section. The rules may include standards and requirements
   49  for developing school health services plans, conducting school
   50  health screening, conducting vision screening, meeting emergency
   51  health needs, maintaining school health records, and
   52  coordinating with education programs for exceptional students.
   53         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.