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Minutes for SB490 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Updating certain provisions of the optometry law relating to scope of practice, definitions and credentialing requirements.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 20, 2024
Chairperson Gossage opened the hearing on SB490.
Eileen Ma, Staff Revisor gave an overview of the bill. (Attachment 1) There were no questions.
Todd Fleischer gave proponent testimony for SB490. (Attachment 2) He said that SB490 seeks to modernize the optometric scope of practice to reflect education and training of optometrists. Optometrists have been licensed to provide care for patients in Kansas for more than 100 years, however, there has been no significant changes to the optometric practice act for more than 20 years.
Shane Kannarr spoke in support of SB490. (Attachment 3) He stated that SB490 will modernize the profession of optometry by allowing Kansas doctors of optometry to perform procedures that they have been educated, trained and certified to do.
Derek Bryant testified in support of SB490. (Attachment 4) He said in a recent survey of optometry students across the nation about half of the students are interested in going to a rural area; 90% of students said that scope of practice is a significant factor when it comes to deciding whether they will return to Kansas or not and 96% said they would return to Kansas if scope of practice was modernized as outlined in SB490.
Kathleen Holthaus gave proponent testimony for SB490. (Attachment 5) testified that although she was trained and educated on the procedures outlined in SB490, she is unable to perform them in Kansas due to limitations in Kansas' scope of practice.
Jason Rogers gave proponent testimony for SB490. (Attachment 6) He asked that SB490 be passed to allow optometrists in Kansas to practice to the level of his education and training.
William Wilk spoke as a proponent for SB490. (Attachment 7) He stated that SB490 would increase access to care for Kansans seeking optometry treatment and would save patient time if optometrists were allowed to perform the procedures.
They took questions from committee members.
Written only, proponent testimony was submitted by:
Kendra Lowell, Student at Oklahoma College of Optometry (Attachment 8)
Cori Dorrell, Immediate Past President, Oklahoma Optometric Student Association (Attachment 9)
Elizabeth Patton, State Director of Americans for Prosperity-KS. (Attachment 10)
Representative Bill Clifford, MD spoke as an opponent to SB490. (Attachment 11) He said in his testimony that his focus is on his patients and to not let lawyers decide the standard of practice and to protect the patients and constituents.
Mary Champion gave opponent testimony to SB490. (Attachment 12) She said that Kansans deserve to have qualified surgeons performing eye surgery procedures on them. On behalf of the patients and the eye physicians and surgeons of Kansas, we ask that you retain the current provisions in the optometry scope of practice and oppose SB490.
Dr. Zack Unruh testified as an opponent to SB490. (Attachment 13) He said that his optometric training prepared him well to provide clearly defined and an irreplaceable role in doing so, but he would not have been comfortable with anything beyond that. As he accumulated experience practicing optometry, he sensed a gap in his knowledge and skills that motivated him to pursue an addition 8-10 years of training.
They answered questions from committee members.
Opponent, written only testimony was submitted by:
Rachelle Colombo, Executive Director, KMS. (Attachment 14)
Denise Hug, OD, MD (Attachment 15)
Chairperson Gossage closed the hearing on SB490.
