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Tomorrow, Tuesday the WV Senate will vote on passage of SB 230 the optometry surgery bill. We need your help on one last effort to persuade Senators that this is a very bad bill and to VOTE NO on SB 230. Please call as many senators as you are able before 10:45 a.m. to ask them to VOTE NO on the bill.
Also, this is very late notice, but if you are available, please come to the capitol to be in the gallery as a show of opposition to the bill. The Senate will meet at 11:00 a.m.
The bill was on second reading (amendment stage) today, Monday, and some amendments were offered by Senator Ed Bowman, Chair of the Government Organization committee from which the bill was passed. His amendments were aimed at pairing down some of the most controversial components of the bill.
One amendment would have reduced the list of the 4 different types of laser surgeries the optometrists may perform, down to 1, the SLT laser procedure. Senator Jeff Kessler however (in an orchestrated effort with the Support of Senator Bowman) successfully amended the amendment to put back in 2 of the laser procedures, arguing that the optometrists have treated glaucoma since 1976 so they are qualified to perform the laser surgeries that treat this disease. Senators Jenkins, Prezioso, Foster and Stollings all argued in vain against Senator Kessler's amendment.
There were a few other positive amendments offered by Senator Bowman the did the following:
- Removed the language in the bill that allowed the Board of Optometry to approve additional lasers and "minor surgical procedures".
- Clarified language that an optometrist must have a "collaborative arrangement" with an ophthalmologist that is licensed in the State of WV to perform any lasers procedures
The bill as it currently stands allows optometrists to do the the following:
- Ability to perform injections around the eyes.
- Prescribe contact lenses with therapeutic drugs in them (not on the market yet).
- Expand the prescriptive authority of the optometrists by the Board of Optometry
- Order lab tests
- Allows the use of the following lasers for treatment of glaucoma by optometrists: Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty procedure in the treatment of glaucoma;Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty procedure in the treatment of glaucoma;Peripheral Iridotomy procedure in the treatment of glaucoma. (the laser procedure amended out of the bill today was the YAG Capsulotomy procedure following a cataract surgery)
Many Senators are saying they are just going to vote the bill out of the Senate and let the house kill it; however, if passed on Tuesday and sent to the House it is not expected to be met with enough resistance to kill the bill.
Please contact as many Senators as possible to ask them to VOTE NO on SB 230 it is bad for patient safety.
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