CSSB 270(L&C): "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of Dispensing Opticians; relating to the regulation of dispensing opticians; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 270(L&C) 01 "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of Dispensing Opticians; relating 02 to the regulation of dispensing opticians; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 08.03.010(c)(9) is amended to read: 05 (9) Board of Dispensing Opticians (AS 08.71.010) -- June 30, 2005 06 [2002]; 07 * Sec. 2. AS 08.71.055 is amended to read: 08 Sec. 08.71.055. Powers and duties. The board shall have the following 09 powers and duties: 10 (1) to [EXAMINE AND] issue licenses to applicants; 11 (2) to renew licenses; 12 (3) to hold hearings and order disciplinary sanctions against a person 13 who violates this chapter or the regulations of the board; 14 (4) to supply forms for applications, licenses, and other needed
01 documents; 02 (5) to keep a record of all proceedings open to the public, including the 03 name of each license applicant [FOR EXAMINATION] and each licensee; 04 (6) to enforce the provisions of this chapter and adopt or amend 05 regulations necessary to make these provisions effective. 06 * Sec. 3. AS 08.71.080 is amended to read: 07 Sec. 08.71.080. License required. A person may not act as a dispensing 08 optician in the state unless the person is licensed under this chapter. [IN ORDER TO 09 BE LICENSED UNDER THIS CHAPTER, A PERSON SHALL PASS AN 10 EXAMINATION GIVEN BY THE BOARD UNLESS THE PERSON IS ELIGIBLE 11 FOR LICENSING WITHOUT EXAMINATION UNDER AS 08.71.145.] A license 12 shall be issued for (1) the dispensing of contact lenses, or (2) the dispensing of other 13 lenses, eyeglasses, spectacles, artificial eyes, and their appurtenances, or (3) both. The 14 board shall by endorsement on the license designate for which aspect of dispensing 15 opticianry the license is issued. [THE BOARD SHALL LICENSE SUCCESSFUL 16 EXAMINEES.] 17 * Sec. 4. AS 08.71.090 is repealed and reenacted to read: 18 Sec. 08.71.090. Examination requirement. To be licensed to dispense 19 contact lenses, a person, unless eligible for licensing under AS 08.71.145, shall 20 document to the board that the person has passed the contact lens registry examination 21 offered by the National Contact Lens Examiners with a score acceptable to the board. 22 In order to be licensed to dispense other lenses, eyeglasses, spectacles, artificial eyes, 23 and their appurtenances, a person, unless eligible for licensing under AS 08.71.145, 24 shall document to the board that the person has passed the national opticianry 25 competency examination offered by the American Board of Opticianry with a score 26 acceptable to the board. An applicant for licensure in both areas shall document 27 having received a score acceptable to the board on both examinations. The board 28 shall, by regulation, establish the scores that will be acceptable for the examinations 29 described in this section. 30 * Sec. 5. AS 08.71.110 is amended to read: 31 Sec. 08.71.110. Qualifications for licensure [OF APPLICANTS FOR
01 EXAMINATION]. (a) The board may issue a license to a [A] person [IS 02 ENTITLED TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION] who 03 (1) has had education equivalent to four years attendance at a high 04 school; 05 (2) has either 06 (A) completed at least 3,000 [6,000] hours of training as an 07 apprentice after registering with the department as an apprentice; or 08 (B) been engaged for at least 3,000 [6,000] hours as a 09 practicing optician in good standing in a state, territory, district, or possession 10 of the United States; [AND] 11 (3) has passed the applicable examination required under 12 AS 08.71.090 with a score acceptable to the board; and 13 (4) has paid the required license [EXAMINATION] fee. 14 (b) Graduation from an associate degree program in a recognized school or 15 college of opticianry may be substituted for [4,000 OF] the [6,000 HOURS OF] 16 experience required by (a)(2) of this section. 17 * Sec. 6. AS 08.71.120 is amended to read: 18 Sec. 08.71.120. Fees. The department shall set fees under AS 08.01.065 for 19 [EXAMINATION,] initial license [,] and license renewal. 20 * Sec. 7. AS 08.71.130(c) is amended to read: 21 (c) If the license remains lapsed for more than one year, the board may require 22 the applicant to retake and successfully pass again the applicable examination or 23 examinations required [BE EXAMINED] under AS 08.71.090. 24 * Sec. 8. AS 08.71.145 is amended to read: 25 Sec. 08.71.145. Licensure by credentials. A person with a valid license as a 26 dispensing optician from another state, territory, district, or possession of the United 27 States with licensing requirements substantially equivalent to or higher than those of 28 this state shall be issued a license under this chapter [WITHOUT EXAMINATION] 29 for those professional areas in which the person is licensed in the other jurisdiction 30 upon payment of any fee and documentation that the board may require by regulation. 31 * Sec. 9. AS 08.71.100 is repealed.
01 * Sec. 10. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).