AB 896 — Registered Dispensing Opticians: Dispensing Opticians Fund: Optometry Fund: mobile optometric offices.

Summary

Existing law provides for the registration and regulation of dispensing opticians, spectacle lens dispensers, nonresident contact lens sellers, and contact lens dispensers by the State Board of Optometry and requires certain fees and fines in connection therewith to be paid to the board. Existing law establishes the Dispensing Opticians Fund and requires that these fees and fines be paid into that fund, and provides that the funds be available, upon appropriation, to the board for specified purposes. Existing law, the Optometry Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of optometrists by the board and requires certain fees and fines in connection therewith to be paid to the board. The act establishes the Optometry Fund and requires that these fees and fines be paid into that fund, and provides that the funds, unless otherwise provided, be available, upon appropriation, to the board in order to carry out the purposes of the act. This bill would abolish the Dispensing Opticians Fund on July 1, 2022, and would require that any moneys in that fund be transferred to the Optometry Fund before July 1, 2022. The bill would make various related conforming changes. Existing law provides that specified provisions of the Medical Practice Act that are not inconsistent or in conflict with certain provisions of law relating to the registration and regulation of dispensing opticians apply to the issuance, and govern the expiration and renewal, of certificates of registration issued to dispensing opticians. This bill would delete that provision. The Optometry Practice Act requires each licensed optometrist, before engaging in the practice of optometry, to notify the board in writing of the address or addresses where the optometrist is to engage in the practice of optometry and of any changes in their place of practice. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would define "mobile optometric office" to mean a trailer, van, or other means of transportation in which the practice of optometry is performed and which is not affiliated with an approved optometry school in California. The bill would limit ownership of a mobile optometric office to a tax-exempt nonprofit or charitable organization that provides optometric services to patients regardless of the patient's ability to pay. The bill would require the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office to register with the board and to provide specified information on registering. The bill would prohibit the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office from accepting payment for services other than those provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The bill would require the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office to file a quarterly report with the board and to provide a consumer notice prescribed by the board to patients. The bill would require the board, by January 1, 2022, to adopt regulations establishing a registry for mobile optometric offices and to set a registration fee at an amount not to exceed the costs of administration. The bill would authorize the board to adopt regulations to conduct quality assurance reviews for optometrists engaging in the practice of optometry at a mobile optometric office. The bill would prohibit the board from bringing an enforcement action against an owner and operator of a mobile optometric office based solely on its affiliation status with an approved optometry school in California for remotely providing optometric service before January 1, 2022. The bill would require the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office to maintain records, as prescribed, to be made available to the board upon request for inspection. The bill would require a licensed optometrist who provides patient care in conjunction with a mobile optometric office to obtain a statement of licensure with the mobile optometric office's address as registered with the board. The bill would require, if the licensee is not practicing optometry at a location other than with the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office, that the licensee list as their primary address of record the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office's address as registered with the board. The bill would repeal these mobile optometric office provisions on July 1, 2024. Because this bill would expand the scope of an existing crime, it would therefore impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 205 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 1474 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1474 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 09/24/20 - Chaptered Current pdf September 24, 2020
• Enrolled 09/04/20 - Enrolled pdf September 04, 2020
• Amended 08/25/20 - Amended Senate pdf August 25, 2020
• Amended 08/06/20 - Amended Senate pdf August 06, 2020
• Amended 07/22/20 - Amended Senate pdf July 22, 2020
• Amended 02/25/20 - Amended Senate pdf February 25, 2020
• Amended 08/30/19 - Amended Senate pdf August 30, 2019
• Introduced 02/20/19 - Introduced pdf February 20, 2019
• AB896 View text html

Action History

1. September 24, 2020

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 121, Statutes of 2020.

2. September 24, 2020

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 14, 2020

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

4. August 31, 2020

   Urgency clause adopted. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 5429.).

5. August 30, 2020

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

6. August 30, 2020

   Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).

7. August 26, 2020

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. August 25, 2020

   Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

9. August 14, 2020

   Ordered to third reading.

10. August 14, 2020

    From committee: That the measure be returned to Senate Floor for consideration. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13)

11. August 10, 2020

    From committee: Pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10 that the measure be re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (August 8).

12. August 06, 2020

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

13. July 22, 2020

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

14. July 01, 2020

    Re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

15. February 25, 2020

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.

16. September 03, 2019

    Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).

17. September 03, 2019

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

18. August 30, 2019

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

19. June 27, 2019

    Ordered to third reading.

20. June 27, 2019

    From Consent Calendar.

21. June 25, 2019

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

22. June 24, 2019

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.

23. June 10, 2019

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

24. May 08, 2019

    Referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

25. April 25, 2019

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

26. April 25, 2019

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1361.)

27. April 11, 2019

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

28. April 10, 2019

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 10).

29. April 02, 2019

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 20. Noes 0.) (April 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

30. March 14, 2019

    Referred to Com. on B. & P.

31. February 21, 2019

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

32. February 20, 2019

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Low · Primary
• Mike A. Gipson · Cosponsor
• Juan Carrillo · Cosponsor
• Mia Bonta · Cosponsor
• Joaquin Arambula · Cosponsor

Votes

Subjects