KOA Members, The 2022 Legislative Session ended last evening and there are several positive optometry-related updates to share. A brief summary is included below. The KOA legislative team, led by Dr. John Heltsley, worked tirelessly these past months – in addition to their year-round efforts. A HUGE thank you to all legislative team members and [...]
2021 Legislative Update: Drivers Vision Testing - Signed by Governor Beshear! House Bill 439 was signed by the Governor yesterday! Effective July 2024, all drivers will be required to pass a vision screening in order to renew their driver's license. For more details on what House Bill 439 requires, please review THIS SUMMARY DOCUMENT! As [...]
As usual, the Kentucky General Assembly was passing bills right up until midnight on March 28th - the final day of the legislative session. The tax "clean-up" bill and pension bill regarding quasi-state agencies both passed in the final hours. Both are likely to be signed by the Governor. The KOA closely tracked a number [...]
The KOA legislative team has consistently spoken about - and monitored - emerging online eye health technologies, and the threats these technologies pose to consumer safety. No standards or safeguards previously existed in Kentucky to regulate these technologies and properly protect Kentucky consumers. The KOA overwhelmingly passed House Bill 191 - The Consumer Protection in [...]
The 2017 legislative session is complete and was unlike any prior short session in Kentucky’s history. A record seven bills were passed during the first week and ultimately over 130 wide-ranging bills were passed. Provided below is a summary of the legislation most pertinent to the KOA, along with a link to the actual legislation [...]
The Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation that positively impacted Kentucky optometry during the 2016 regular session. Click the links below for summary information. MCO Appeals Process – Senate Bill 20 Insurance Contract Fairness – Senate Bill 18 Optometry School Contracts and Medicaid Managed Care Denials – HB 303 Hydrocodone Synthetic Drugs – Schedule II – [...]