Bill

Bill > H5089


MA H5089

MA H5089
To close the achievement gap by addressing disparities in children's vision


summary

Introduced
02/12/2026
In Committee
02/12/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

194th General Court

Bill Summary

To close the achievement gap by addressing disparities in children's vision

AI Summary

This bill aims to improve children's vision and eye health to help close the achievement gap by establishing a Children's Vision and Eye Health Advisory Council within the Department of Public Health, composed of various stakeholders including healthcare professionals, educators, and parents, to advise on vision health initiatives and recommend improvements. Additionally, the bill mandates the creation and maintenance of a computerized registry for children's vision screenings and eye care data, which licensed healthcare providers must report to, ensuring privacy and security while allowing access for direct care providers, school nurses, and specific state agency staff involved in children's eye care outreach, and also modifies existing school health screening requirements to include preschools and integrate information from the new vision registry.

Committee Categories

Budget and Finance

Sponsors (0)

No sponsors listed

Other Sponsors (1)

Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities (Joint)

Last Action

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (on 02/12/2026)

bill text


bill summary

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bill summary

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bill summary

Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5089
BillText https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5089.pdf
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