AGAIN! This affects both my profession and yours.
Get this:
November 17, 2016
LEGISLATURE PROPOSES ELIMINATION OF OPTOMETRY BOARD! ACT NOW TO PRESERVE A SELF-REGULATED PROFESSION
Dear DRK
On November 15, two identical bills (Senate Bill 366 and House Bill 617) were introduced into the Ohio General Assembly which would dramatically alter the way many medical professionals are regulated in Ohio, including optometrists. The bills would eliminate several licensing boards, including the State Board of Optometry, and consolidate regulation in newly-created, multi-disciplinary boards. Composition of the boards governing medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, chiropractic and others are not changed by the bills. A second part of the bills outlines a process for the state to handle antitrust allegations levied against a board for anti-competitive activity. The two parts of the bills are unrelated.
Under the bills, the State Boards of Optometry, Optical Dispensers, Audiologists and Speech-language Pathologists would be combined under a new Vision and Hearing Professionals Board. This new board would be comprised of: 2 optometrists, 2 opticians, 1 ophthalmologist, 2 speech-language pathologists, 1 audiologist and 1 public member. All current responsibilities and authority of the Board of Optometry would transfer to this new board.
We must act immediately to preserve optometry’s self-regulation! Please call the following legislators today to urge them to oppose the elimination of the State Board of Optometry and oppose the creation of the Vision and Hearing Professionals Board as contained in Senate Bill 366 and House Bill 617:
Kris Jordan
Senate Building
1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor
Columbus, Oh 43215
614-466-8086
Website
Margaret Ann Ruhl
77 S. High St
11th Floor
Columbus, Oh 43215
614-466-1431
Website
Hey, Ohio Opticians, unless you want to be represented with only two opticians amongst all sorts of other professional interests, I'd call or write the state representatives/senators. (Those listed here are for my location, only. Call your Optician's Association for details.)
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