Legislature(2007 - 2008)
02/19/2008 03:01 PM Senate L&C
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| 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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