An Act to close the achievement gap by addressing disparities in children's vision
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill establishes a children’s vision and eye health advisory council to advise the Department of Public Health on improving children’s vision care in Massachusetts. It also creates a computerized registry to track vision screenings and eye care, ensuring data is securely maintained and accessible to authorized personnel. The bill amends existing school health regulations to include provisions for preschool and children’s vision registry access.
Key provisions
- Establishes a Children’s Vision and Eye Health Advisory Council with diverse membership.
- Creates a computerized registry to record vision screening and eye care data.
- Defines rules for data access and security within the registry.
- Requires licensed healthcare providers to report vision screening data to the registry.
- Modifies Chapter 71 to include provisions for preschool and children’s vision registry access.
- Allows for research studies on children’s vision needs with confidentiality protections.
- Protects the confidentiality of information in the registry, limiting disclosure.
- Provides a mechanism for individuals to correct inaccurate information in the registry.
Who is affected
- Children in Massachusetts
- Parents and guardians of children
- Licensed healthcare providers
- School nurses
- The Department of Public Health
Bill text
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Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
13 on record
Primary sponsor
Families and Persons with Disabilities Joint Committee on Children
Cosponsors
Carmine Lawrence Gentile
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