HB 1077 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school health services, establishing the Commission on Children's Vision and providing for duties of Commission on Children's Vision.

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1195 PRINTER'STHE NO.GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

30891077 THE2025 GENERALINTRODUCED ASSEMBLYBY OFCEPEDA-FREYTIZ, PENNSYLVANIAHOHENSTEIN, HOUSEHILL-EVANS, BILLPIELLI, SessionRABB, ofSANCHEZ, No.CERRATO, PARKER, PROBST, GIRAL, CURRY, KHAN, D.

1077WILLIAMS, MALAGARI AND O'MARA, APRIL 1, 2025 INTRODUCEDREFERRED BYTO CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,COMMITTEE HOHENSTEIN,ON HILL-EVANS,HEALTH, PIELLI,APRIL D.1, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools;

WILLIAMS,amending, MALAGARI,revising, O'MARAconsolidating ANDand BRIGGS,changing APRIL 1, 2025HAN, AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 25, 2026 AN ACT Amending the actestablishing of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the publicCommission schoolon system,Children's includingVision certainand provisionsproviding applicablefor asduties wellof toCommission privateon andChildren's parochialVision. schools;

amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in school health services, establishing the Commission on Children's Vision and providing for duties of Commission on Children's Vision.

Commission on Children's Vision.--(a) The Commission on Children's Vision is established.established as a departmental administrative commission under the concurrent authority of the Department of Education and the Department of Health with all the powers and duties generally vested in and imposed upon the commissions under the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929." (b) The commission shall be administratively housed within the Department of Education and the Department of Health and shall be staffed and supported by the Department of Education and the Department of Health as provided under this section.

as a <-- departmental administrative commission under the concurrent authority of the Department of Education and the Department of Health with all the powers and duties generally vested in and imposed upon the commissions under the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929." (b) The commission shall be administratively housed within the Department of Education and the Department of Health.

and <-- shall be staffed and supported by the Department of Education and the Department of Health as provided under this section.

(d) (C) The commission shall consist of the following <-- members:

(3) No less than twelve vision care professionals that work <-- for local nonprofit organizations that provide eyeglasses to children in this Commonwealth, who shall be jointly appointed by the Secretary of Education and Secretary of Health.

(f) The chairperson of the commission shall rotate on an 20250HB1077PN3089 - 2 - annual basis between the Secretary of Education or the Secretary of Health, with the Secretary of Education chairing the first 20250HB1077PN1195 - 2 - annual rotation.

(3)(h) THEThe CHIEFcommission OFshall THEhold DIVISIONits OFfirst THEmeeting SCHOOLwithin HEALTHthirty PROGRAM(30) <--days WITHINof THEthe BUREAUeffective OFdate COMMUNITYof HEALTHthis SYSTEMSsubsection. OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, OR A DESIGNEE.

(4)(i) NOThe LESScommission THANshall THREEhold SCHOOLmeetings NURSES,at REPRESENTINGthe URBAN,call RURALof ANDthe SUBURBANchairperson. SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHO SHALL BE JOINTLY APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION AND THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH.

(5)(j) NOThe FEWERmembers THANof SIXthe VISIONcommission CAREmay PROFESSIONALSnot REPRESENTINGreceive DIVERSEcompensation SPECIALTIES,or INCLUDINGreimbursement PEDIATRICfor PROVIDERS,their WHOservice. SHALL BE JOINTLY APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION AND SECRETARY OF HEALTH.

(6)(k) REPRESENTATIVESThe FROMGeneral COMMUNITYAssembly ORGANIZATIONSshall THATprovide CONNECTadministrative CHILDRENsupport, TOmeeting EYEGLASSES.space and other assistance required by the commission to carry out its duties under this section in cooperation with the Department of Education and Department of Health.

(D) THE COMMISSION SHALL ELECT A MEMBER TO SERVE AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION.

(h) (E) The commission shall hold its first meeting within <-- thirty (30) days of the effective date of this subsection.

(i) (F) The commission shall hold meetings at the call of <-- the chairperson.

(j) (G) The members of the commission may not receive <-- compensation or reimbursement for their service.

(k) The General Assembly shall provide administrative <-- support, meeting space and other assistance required by the commission to carry out its duties under this section in 20250HB1077PN3089 - 3 - cooperation with the Department of Education and Department of Health.

(H)(l) THEThe DEPARTMENTcommission OFshall EDUCATIONhave ANDall THEof DEPARTMENTthe OFfollowing HEALTHpowers <--and SHALLduties: PROVIDE THE COMMISSION WITH DATA, RESEARCH AND OTHER INFORMATION UPON REQUEST BY THE COMMISSION.

THE(1) INFORMATIONWork PROVIDEDwith UNDERvision THIScare SUBSECTIONprofessionals MAYin NOTthis CONTAINCommonwealth CONFIDENTIALin ORdeveloping PERSONALLYa IDENTIFIABLEStatewide INFORMATION.plan to provide follow-up vision examinations and glasses to all children who need follow-up vision examinations and glasses in this Commonwealth.

(l)(2) (I)Develop Thea commissionmodel shallfor haveStatewide allprograms ofto theprovide followingvision <--screenings, powerseye examinations, follow-up eye examinations and duties:glasses to students who need them for little to no cost to students and families.

(1) Work with vision care professionals in this Commonwealth in developing a Statewide plan to provide follow-up vision examinations and glasses EYEGLASSES to all children STUDENTS who <-- need follow-up vision examinations and glasses EYEGLASSES in <-- this Commonwealth.

(2) Develop a model for Statewide programs to provide vision screenings, eye examinations, follow-up eye examinations and glasses EYEGLASSES to students who need them for little to no <-- cost to students and families.

(4) Review DATA AND RESEARCH and make findings and <-- recommendations related to 20250HB1077PN1195 - 3 - children's vision care in this Commonwealth.

(6) Investigate, review and issue an annual report on the <-- status of the programs under clause (2) as required under subsection (m).

20250HB1077PN3089 - 4 - (m) By December 31 each year, the commission shall submit a report to the Governor of the General Assembly on the status of children's access to eye examinations and glasses in this Commonwealth.

(6)(1) BYOutline DECEMBERStatewide 31programs OFthat THEprovide FIRSTvision FULLscreenings, CALENDAReye YEARexaminations, AFTERfollow-up THEeye <--examinations EFFECTIVEand DATEglasses OFto THISstudents SUBSECTION,who SUBMITneed Athem REPORTand ONtheir THEachievements. STATUS OF CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO EYE EXAMINATIONS AND EYEGLASSES IN THIS COMMONWEALTH TO THE GOVERNOR, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE, CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE AND CHAIR AND MINORITY CHAIR OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE(2) REPORTAssess SHALLthe INCLUDE:trends and needs in school entities regarding students who need glasses and do not have glasses.

(1)(3) OutlineMake (I)programming ANrecommendations OUTLINEto OFhelp Statewidemore programschildren that <-- provide vision screenings, eye examinations, follow-up eye examinations and glasses EYEGLASSES to students who need themglasses <--receive andthem. their achievements.

<--(4) (2)Highlight Assessnew (II)initiatives ANand ASSESSMENTrecommend OFfuture the trends and needs infor <--Statewide schoolprograms entitiesthat regardingprovide studentsvision whoscreenings, needeye glassesexaminations, EYEGLASSESfollow-up <--eye examinations and do not have glasses EYEGLASSES.to students.

<--(5) (3) Make programmingrecommendations (III)to PROGRAMMINGthe recommendationsGovernor toand <--the helpGeneral moreAssembly childrenregarding wholegislative needor glassesregulatory EYEGLASSESchanges receiveto them.improve children's access to glasses.

<--(n) (4)The HighlightDepartment newof initiativesEducation and recommendthe futureDepartment needsof forHealth <--shall Statewide programs that provide visionstaff screenings,to eyeassist examinations,the follow-upcommission eyewith examinationsthe andcommission's glassesduties. to students.

(5)The MakeDepartment (IV)of ANEducation OUTLINEand OFthe NEWDepartment INITIATIVESof IMPLEMENTEDHealth BYshall <--assign 20250HB1077PN3089an executive director of the commission who shall oversee elementary and secondary students' glasses needs in this Commonwealth and serve as the director of 20250HB1077PN1195 - 54 - PROGRAMSoutreach THATfor PROVIDEthe VISIONcommission SCREENINGS,and EYEstaff EXAMINATIONSwho ANDmay EYEGLASSESbe TOemployed STUDENTSon ANDor NOTEafter ANTICIPATEDthe FURTHEReffective NEEDSdate FORof THESEthis PROGRAMS.subsection.

(V)(o) POLICYThe recommendationsimplementation of this section shall be subject to themoney Governorappropriated andby the General <-- Assembly regardingto legislativethe Department of Education or regulatorythe changesDepartment toof improveHealth, children'sand accessthe money shall be used to glassescarry EYEGLASSES.out the purposes of this section.

<-- (n) The Department of Education and the Department of Health <--may shallaccept providegrants staffand donations from all public and private sources, including the Federal Government, to assistpay for costs incurred for the commissionimplementation withand continuance of the commission'sprovisions duties.of this section.

(p) The Departmentfollowing ofwords Education and thephrases Departmentwhen ofused Healthin shallthis assignsection anshall executivehave director of the commissionmeanings whogiven shallto overseethem elementary and secondary students' glasses needs in this Commonwealthsubsection andunless servecontext asclearly theindicates directorotherwise: of outreach for the commission and staff who may be employed on or after the effective date of this subsection.

(J) THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL PROVIDE STAFF SUPPORT TO <-- THE COMMISSION AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH.