SB114 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tom Whatley

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Optometrists, practice of optometry defined, Secs. 34-22-1, 34-22-42 am'd.

Summary

SB 114 defines the scope of optometry practice in Alabama and outlines the Alabama Board of Optometry's regulatory authority.

What This Bill Does

The bill amends Sections 34-22-1 and 34-22-42 to clearly define what counts as the practice of optometry. It lists activities optometrists may perform, including eye exams, determining refractive error, fitting lenses, prescribing spectacle or contact lens parameters, administering pharmaceutical agents related to eye care, removing superficial foreign bodies, and providing vision therapy. It also restricts invasive eye surgeries (with limited pre/postoperative care allowed) and prohibits injections into the eyeball, cataract surgery, and other major ocular procedures. It grants the Alabama Board of Optometry broad powers to license practitioners, set education and internship requirements, regulate ongoing education, enforce the rules, and maintain a registry of optometrists.

Who It Affects

• Optometrists licensed in Alabama: Their duties, scope of practice, and regulatory requirements are defined and governed by the Alabama Board of Optometry.
• Patients in Alabama: They would receive eye care from optometrists operating under this defined scope, including exams, prescriptions, medications, and basic eye care, with certain surgeries remaining outside optometry's scope.

Key Provisions

• Defines key terms such as Board, human eye and adjacent structures, pharmaceutical agents, ophthalmic surgery, and the practice of optometry.
• Sets the scope of optometry to include eye examinations, determining refractive error, fitting lenses, prescribing spectacle and contact lens parameters, administering and prescribing medications related to eye care, removing superficial foreign bodies, and providing vision development therapy and related diagnostic/treatment methods approved by the board, including use of laser or ultrasound devices for diagnostics or treatment.
• Authorizes the prescribing and administering of certain medications (including steroids and select narcotics under the Alabama Uniform Controlled Substances Act) with limits, and allows counteraction of anaphylaxis; specifies that some Schedule III drugs are limited to a 96-hour prescription, and excludes certain injections and invasive surgeries.
• Prohibits optometrists from performing certain invasive ophthalmic surgeries (e.g., retina laser procedures, corneal transplants, full-thickness eye incisions, and surgeries requiring general anesthesia), with post-operative care allowed where stated.
• Gives the Board powers to examine applicants, license and regulate optometrists, set continuing education standards, maintain a license registry, conduct hearings, enforce rules, approve accredited schools, and establish internship requirements.
• Effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month after it is enacted and approved by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Optometry, Alabama Board of