Legislature(2007 - 2008)
02/19/2008 03:01 PM Senate L&C
Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
SB209 | |
SB149 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 149-REDISTRIBUTION OF USED EYEGLASSES 3:23:03 PM CHAIR ELLIS announced SB 149 to be up for consideration. SENATOR THERRIAULT, sponsor of SB 149, said this bill was requested by one of his constituents who are very involved in the Lions Club and its used eyeglass distribution program. He said SB 149 doesn't require the state or those regulated by it to give a green light to the Lion's Club or any nonprofit to recycle the eyeglasses; but it gives the Board of Examiners in Optometry the authority to approve any non profit organization for the distribution and fitting of used eyeglasses. Section 2 limits the authority of the non-profit approved by the board to distribute and fit the used eye glasses. He said the fitting of the eyeglasses would be done under the written prescription from a licensed physician or optometrist and the service is free. SENATOR THERRIAULT noted a letter of support from the chair of the Board of Eye Examiners and a resolution of support from the City of North Pole. CHAIR ELLIS stated that everyone knows what a good organization the Lions Club is. 3:26:55 PM SENATOR STEVENS agreed and said one of the cities on Kodiak is named Port Lions after the Lions Club because it helped them relocated after the tidal wave. He respects what they have done and commented that they had done this eyeglasses thing for 50 years. He asked why this legislation is needed now. SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that it provides authorization language for them to continue what they have already been doing. He said a suggested CS also cleans up the existing language. 3:28:20 PM DAVE STANCLIFF, staff to SENATOR THERRIAULT, sponsor of SB 149, explained the drafter cited a board in the original bill that no longer exists. The blank CS eliminated the word "board" and inserted "department" to have broader connotation for any part of the optometrists that might fall under the department and not this specific board. It has a bunch of repealers at the end to remove all references to the board that has actually been gone since 1980. CHAIR ELLIS clarified that the change was purely technical. SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt CSSB 149(L&C) 25-LS0788\M for discussion purposes. There were no objections and it was so ordered. 3:30:25 PM MR. STANCLIFF explained that the Lions Club has been recognized for distributing eyeglasses internationally for years, but not in this state. SB 149 opens the door to recognize the Lions Club as a legal entity without requiring it to do anything. He also pointed out that language says "a qualified non-profit," language that wouldn't limit their authority to recognize other clubs. 3:30:47 PM HOWARD RIXIE, Aurora Borealis Lions Eyeglass Recycling and Vision Center, North Pole, said he also represents the 75-plus Lions Clubs across Alaska and that they all supported SB 149. He related that in 1929 Helen Keller asked the Lions to help fix preventable blindness. He urged Senator Therriault to sponsor this bill because of two projects the Lions support - eye glass recycling and eye care for the needy. Approximately 1500 people are referred annually to the Lions Club for eye exams, eye glasses and sometimes major eye care like surgeries. He explained the way the process typically works is someone refers a needy client to the Club that refers him to a local state public assistance or health services representative to establish the validity of the need. If he is found to be truly in need, he is referred to a Lions Club to sponsor him financially. In the Interior the Club has a standing agreement with local eye doctors to provide eye exams at a flat rate of $60 and eyeglasses at a flat rate of $110 for a total of $170 per person. The cost of their eye care programs for the needy is daunting; many times valid persons have to go on a waiting list until resources become available. Their other project, the eyeglass recycling project, involves approximately 30,000 to 40,000 pairs of eyeglasses being collected and sent to their recycling center in North Pole. At that location, volunteers sort, clean, inspect, repair, package and ship approximately 30,000 pairs of glasses throughout the world to support vision care health missions in the third world countries. All this is happening while many people in Alaska go without. The Lions researched whether eyeglasses could be redistributed in Alaska. They were told the Alaska laws don't preclude it or enable it. To make sure they stood on firm footing and don't violate any statute, they urged the drafting of SB 149. In the end they envision each eye doctor donating one or two Saturdays a year to give free eye exams. They hope that somewhere amongst their thousands of ready-to-wear eye glasses there will be a pair that meets the doctors' prescriptions. He said Lions don't want to "corner the market" on filling this need, they just want the statute to be enabling. 3:35:09 PM MR. RIXIE said some say they are taking income making opportunities away from eye care professionals. But he argued if the Lions didn't serve the needy people, they would never get an eye exam or a pair of glasses. These folks are not active consumers in the eye care industry, and they won't become one until they have a job that produces sufficient income or a way of life that places quality of vision, sufficiently high enough for them to act as consumers. Most of the people they deal with are homeless, battered or displaced and/or severely poor. 3:36:15 PM ANNETTE ULMER, Juneau Lions Club, said she chairs the recycling collection program and she supported SB 149. She has picked up approximately 236 glasses provided by the local optometrists. She echoed the need for a service like this; it enables the person not to have to consider eyeglasses a luxury. 3:37:26 PM THERESA GERMAINE, chair, Zone 7 Lions Club, Southeast Alaska 49A, supported SB 149. She stated this organization truly provides a service to the community in providing the gift of sight to many individuals. She said they send eyeglasses to third world countries and don't want to take away from that, but they want to have the ability to provide for Alaska's own people as well - especially people in rural communities that don't have eye doctors. 3:40:49 PM LARRY HARPER, licensed dispensing optician, said the Lions Club is probably the most prominent organization for eye care and that he supported SB 149. 3:44:01 PM NEIL ATKINSON, Mendenhall Flying Lions Club, supported SB 149. The Lions Club is having a worldwide campaign to bring sight to the needy, and this is one thing it can do for Alaska's people. He said the local clubs have purchased a vision screener, so that eye problems of children up to nine years old can be accurately detected. It is a first step for these children who are then referred to eye doctors. Eye care is a major problem within the state; it is a primary requirement to be a functioning person in the state. 3:46:03 PM CHAIR ELLIS said he appreciated his community service and closed the public hearing. Senator Therriault said he would work on wording. There being no further business to come before the committee, he adjourned the meeting at 3:48:13 PM.
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