A01382 Summary:

BILL NO    A01382 

SAME AS    Same as S 1126

SPONSOR    Wright (MS)

COSPNSR    Towns, Benjamin, Espaillat, Rosenthal, Jaffee

MLTSPNSR   Boyland, Colton, Lavine, Pheffer, Weisenberg

Add S22, Pub Health L; add S401-c, V & T L; add S81, St Fin L

Establishes the save our sight program and the save our sight fund to promote
vision health and safety for children; targets children with amblyopia for
support regarding such children's vision; provides for information to be
disseminated by the department of motor vehicles and for voluntary
contributions to the fund.

A01382 Actions:

BILL NO    A01382 

01/07/2009 referred to health
01/06/2010 referred to health

A01382 Votes:

A01382 Memo:

 BILL NUMBER:  A1382

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, the vehicle
and traffic law and the state finance law, in relation to establishing
the save our sight program and the save our sight fund

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL : To educate and promote safe and
preventive vision care among children.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :  Section one adds a new Article 27-L
to the public Health law which establishes a program to promote and
educate children on proper vision care to prevent potential vision
problems.

Section two of the bill adds a new section 224-b to the vehicle and
traffic law to establish a program whereby individuals applying for or
renewing car registrations or applying for or renewing their license
are asked to voluntarily contribute $1 to the save our sight fund.

Section three of the legislation adds a new section 92-ee to the state
finance law to establish a "save our sight fund" to fund the vision
care program established within the Department of Health.

 JUSTIFICATION : This legislation is necessary to ensure that children
and parents receive appropriate education regarding proper eye care.
Without proper vision care, a child's ability to learn and a
teenager's ability to drive safely are significantly impaired. This
legislation recognizes the need for early intervention and screening
for eye problems to prevent future eye difficulties.

According to Prevent Blindness America, vision problems affect one in
20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children. Since vision
problems begin at an early age, it is imperative that children receive
proper vision care. Left untreated, eye problems can worsen and lead
to other serious problems such as learning difficulties as well as
driver safety concerns. Approximately 80% of children under the age of
six (over 1.3 million New York children) are not being screened for
visual problems before they enter school, putting them at risk for not
only sustaining permanent damage to their eyes, but also starting
their academic careers less than 100% ready to learn.  These problems
present a compelling need to promote proper early detection of vision
problems.

This legislation will establish, similar to Florida, Texas and Ohio, a
voluntary fund which will be administered by the Department of Health
to support programming and services that will focus on detection and
prevention of eye problems in children. Such programs will include
establishment of a targeted voluntary case management system to
determine whether children with amblyopia are receiving proper vision
care, training for teachers, parents and other leaders in schools to
find vision problems early on and have the child seek appropriate
treatment; and establishing a grant program for the purchase and
distribution of protective eye wear for children.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :  2007: A.8760A 2007: A.8760/S.4152
2005-06: A.10518/No same as 2003-04: A.5666/S.1940 2001-02: A.9920/No
same as

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : Minimal.

 EFFECTIVE DATE : This act shall take effect immediately.