Bill > H3608

This bill updates the licensure requirements for optometrists in Massachusetts. The key provisions include: 1. Expanding the definition of the "practice of optometry" to include the examination, diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures, as well as the diagnosis of related systemic conditions. 2. Requiring optometrists licensed before 1984, 1994, and 2021 to retake and pass applicable licensing examinations to be able to use diagnostic, therapeutic, and oral medications, respectively, by certain deadlines. 3. Clarifying the requirements for optometrists to obtain and maintain their licenses, including continuing education, annual license fees, and record-keeping. 4. Updating language related to optometrist advertising and prohibiting certain misleading practices. 5. Increasing the penalties for practicing optometry without a valid license. The overall goal of the bill is to modernize the regulation of optometry in Massachusetts, ensuring that optometrists are properly trained and licensed to provide the full range of eye care services to patients.