CSSB 255(FIN): "An Act extending the termination date and duties for the Board of Examiners in Optometry; amending the licensing, endorsement, and renewal provisions for optometrists; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 255(FIN) 01 "An Act extending the termination date and duties for the Board of Examiners in 02 Optometry; amending the licensing, endorsement, and renewal provisions for 03 optometrists; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 08.03.010(c)(14) is amended to read: 06 (14) Board of Examiners in Optometry (AS 08.72.010) - June 30, 2014 07 [2006]; 08 * Sec. 2. AS 08.72.060(c) is amended to read: 09 (c) The board shall 10 (1) elect a chair [PRESIDENT] and secretary from among its 11 members; 12 (2) order a licensee to submit to a reasonable physical examination if 13 the licensee's physical capacity to practice safely is at issue. 14 * Sec. 3. AS 08.72.140 is amended to read:
01 Sec. 08.72.140. Qualifications for examination. The board shall admit to the 02 examination a person who furnishes proof that the person 03 (1) [REPEALED 04 (2) REPEALED 05 (3)] has had education equivalent to four years attendance at a state 06 high school; 07 (2) [(4)] is a graduate of a recognized school or college of optometry; 08 (3) has not committed an act in any jurisdiction that would have 09 constituted a violation of this chapter or regulations adopted under this chapter 10 at the time the act was committed; 11 (4) has not been disciplined by an optometry licensing entity in 12 another jurisdiction and is not the subject of a pending disciplinary proceeding 13 conducted by an optometry licensing entity in another jurisdiction; however, the 14 board may consider the disciplinary action and, in the board's discretion, 15 determine if the person is qualified to be admitted to the examination. 16 * Sec. 4. AS 08.72.170 is amended to read: 17 Sec. 08.72.170. Licensure by credentials. The board shall issue a license by 18 credentials to an applicant who 19 (1) has had education equivalent to four years of attendance at a state 20 high school; 21 (2) is a graduate of a recognized school or college of optometry; 22 (3) has passed a written examination approved by the board that is 23 designed to test the applicant's knowledge of the laws of Alaska governing the practice 24 of optometry and the regulations adopted under those laws; 25 (4) holds a current license to practice optometry in another state or 26 territory of the United States or in a province of Canada; 27 (5) at some time in the past, received a license to practice optometry 28 from another state or territory of the United States or from a province of Canada that 29 required the person to successfully complete an examination in optometry; 30 (6) was engaged in the active licensed clinical practice of optometry in 31 a state or territory of the United States or in a province of Canada for at least 3,120
01 hours during the 36 months preceding the date of application under this section; 02 (7) has not committed an act in any jurisdiction that would have 03 constituted a violation of this chapter or regulations adopted under this chapter at the 04 time the act was committed; and 05 (8) has not been disciplined by an optometry licensing entity in another 06 jurisdiction and is not the subject of a pending disciplinary proceeding conducted by 07 an optometry licensing entity in another jurisdiction; however, the board may 08 consider the disciplinary action and, in the board's discretion, determine if the 09 person is qualified for licensure. 10 * Sec. 5. AS 08.72.175(a) is amended to read: 11 (a) The board may issue a license endorsement authorizing a licensee to 12 prescribe and use the pharmaceutical agents described in AS 08.72.272(a) 13 [AS 08.72.272], if the licensee or applicant for a license passes the written and 14 practical portions of an examination on ocular pharmacology, approved by the board, 15 that tests the licensee's or the applicant's knowledge of the characteristics, 16 pharmacological effects, indications, contraindications, and emergency care associated 17 with the prescription and use of pharmaceutical agents. The endorsement expires at the 18 same time as the license to which it attaches. The endorsement may be renewed upon 19 satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements established by the board 20 by regulation. 21 * Sec. 6. AS 08.72.175 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 22 (c) The board may issue a license endorsement authorizing a licensee to use 23 the pharmaceutical agents described in AS 08.72.272(c), if the licensee or applicant 24 for a license passes the written and practical portions of an examination on ocular 25 pharmacology, approved by the board, that tests the licensee's or the applicant's 26 knowledge of the characteristics, pharmacological effect, indications, 27 contraindications, and emergency care associated with the use of pharmaceutical 28 agents. The endorsement expires at the same time as the license to which it attaches. 29 The endorsement may be renewed on satisfactory completion of continuing education 30 requirements established by the board by regulation. 31 * Sec. 7. AS 08.72.181(d) is amended to read:
01 (d) Before a license may be renewed, the licensee shall submit to the board 02 evidence [OF 24 HOURS] of postgraduate continuing education instruction as 03 prescribed by regulations of the board. [THE BOARD MAY SPECIFY BY 04 REGULATION THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE 05 REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION MAY BE WAIVED.] 06 * Sec. 8. AS 08.72.191 is amended to read: 07 Sec. 08.72.191. Fees. The department shall set fees under AS 08.01.065 for the 08 following: 09 (1) examination; 10 (2) reexamination; 11 (3) licensure by credentials; 12 (4) license; 13 (5) renewal [; 14 (6) BRANCH OFFICE LICENSE AND RENEWAL]. 15 * Sec. 9. AS 08.72.272(b) is amended to read: 16 (b) A licensee may not purchase, possess, prescribe, or use a pharmaceutical 17 agent unless the licensee has obtained the appropriate [A] license endorsement under 18 AS 08.72.175. 19 * Sec. 10. AS 08.72.272 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 20 (c) A licensee may use a pharmaceutical agent in the practice of optometry if 21 (1) the pharmaceutical agent is a drug topically applied to the human 22 eye and its appendages; and 23 (2) the person holds a license endorsement issued by the board 24 authorizing the use of the pharmaceutical agent. 25 * Sec. 11. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 26 read: 27 RETROACTIVITY. Sections 5, 6, 9, and 10 of this Act are retroactive to July 1, 1992. 28 * Sec. 12. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).