SB 149-REDISTRIBUTION OF USED EYEGLASSES  CHAIR DAVIS announced consideration of SB 149. DAVID STANCLIFF, Staff to Senator Therriault, said the Lion's Club of Alaska asked the sponsor to introduce SB 149. The Lion's Club had been providing eye glasses to needy persons in third world countries for many years. The bill as originally written referenced a board that no longer existed, so a CS was adopted in the previous committee. The references to "board" were replaced by "department." Language was also added on page 2, lines 24-25, stipulating that the prescription conforms "to the extent possible" with the individual's prescription from a licensed physician or optometrist. The bill did not require that the department work with the Lions Club; it merely opened the door and enabled any qualified non-profit to begin an association with the State of Alaska to provide used eye glasses. CHAIR DAVIS noted that this bill was heard first in Labor and Commerce, which heard some compelling testimony. She asked if anyone had signed up to testify in this committee. 5:17:15 PM HOWARD SCOTT RIXIE, SR., Lions Club, Aurora Borealis Chapter, Fairbanks, AK, thanked the committee for hearing this bill and said they looked forward to the time when all Alaskans could enjoy the gift of sight. He said he had sent each of the committee members an electronic letter with attachments, which he asked to be entered into the record on his behalf, and urged the committee to pass SB 149 on to the full Senate. SENATOR ELTON noted that in other types of medicine, there was a credo that all persons would be treated regardless of their ability to pay and asked Mr. Rixie whether that was true in optometry and ophthalmology as well. MR. STANCLIFF replied that he had checked with Jill Geering at the Alaska Vision Center and was told they did a fair amount of charitable work; but people in many parts of Alaska did not have access to a center offering that type of care. SENATOR ELTON asked if it was true that the eye glasses would not have to be dispensed by a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist. MR. STANCLIFF answered that was correct. If the state deemed that the Lions Club had the experience necessary to fill and fit a prescription provided by a doctor, they would do that in Alaska with used eye glasses. He clarified that this would not prevent an optometrist or ophthalmologist from doing it, but would allow this benevolent group to expand access to this service in Alaska as they had done in third world countries. SENATOR THOMAS asked if page 2, lines 22-25 was the area Mr. Stancliff was discussing. MR. STANCLIFF answered that the change he referred to was on lines 24 and 25 and that the exact words added were "to extent possible," because they may not always have used glasses that fit another person's prescription perfectly. He stressed that the department would have to build guidelines into regulation and policy to define the parameters within which the Lions would be allowed to operated with regard to decisions about whether a prescription was close enough. CHAIR DAVIS specified that the committee was working off CSSB 149, Version \K. CHAIR DAVIS asked for further questions or comments. When there were none, she stated that it was her intention not to hear this bill again, but to move it to the next committee of referral. 5:23:11 PM SENATOR THOMAS moved to report CSSB 149, Version \K from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note. There being no objections, CSSB 149(L&C) moved from committee.