BILL NUMBER: S75
SPONSOR: GALLIVAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to vision screening exam-
inations of students
 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
To authorize the Commissioner of Education to approve the use of auto-
mated vision screening devices by public schools for vision screening
examinations required by law.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 905(1) of the Education Law requires that the director of school
health services of each school district in this state conduct screening
examinations of vision that consist of testing students' vision for
color perception, distance acuity and near vision, within six months of
admission to the school, or by such other date as may be prescribed in
the regulations of the commissioner.
This bill would authorize the Commissioner of Education to specify the
types of vision screening devices and testing methods to be used for
such examinations, including but not limited to, automated vision
screening devices.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Automated vision screening devices are technological advances in eye
examination that should be recognized as an alternative to the tradi-
tional Snellen Eye Chart Test. Such devices require minimal cooperation
from the subject undergoing the test and take only a matter of seconds
to administer to both eyes at the same time after which the results are
sent to a wireless printer.
The test is able to detect a variety of visual maladies that an eye
chart test cannot. In July 2017, the State of Connecticut amended
Section 10-214 of its General Statutes to permit the use of automated
vision screening devices for conducting eye examinations in its public
schools as an alternative to the Snellen Eye Test Chart. New York should
follow suit.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S.2260/A.5311 Referred to Education
2019-20: S.1860/A.9664 Referred to Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None as the alternate testing method is not required
 
EFFECTIVE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S75: 905 education law, 905(4) education law