RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 194 (SB 210) 2023 Regular Session Boudreaux
Prior law provided for the La. State Board of Optometry Examiners (board) to be comprised
of five actively licensed optometrists and one consumer member. New law adds one
additional member who will be an actively licensed minority optometrist.
Prior law provided that one licensed optometrist member was to be appointed by the
governor from each of the five board districts. Prior law further provided for the nomination
and appointment process. New law provides that the minority licensed optometrist member
shall be selected from the state at large and appointed by the governor. New law further
provides that any person interested in serving in this position may apply directly to the office
of the governor.
Prior law provided that the consumer member was to be selected from the state at large and
appointed by the governor. New law specifies that the consumer member shall be a
representative of minority consumers.
Prior law required an applicant for renewal of a license to complete 12 hours of continuing
education. New law increases the continuing education requirement to 16 hours if the
licensee is authorized to diagnose and treat pathology and to use and prescribe therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents.
Prior law required the continuing education to pertain to the subjects required for licensing
pursuant to prior law or subjects pertaining to current visual and healthcare practices
applicable to the practice of optometry. New law provides that half of the required hours of
continuing education for all licensees shall pertain to ocular and systemic pharmacology and
current diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease and shall be obtained through an in-person
classroom setting. New law further provides that no licensee shall obtain more than six hours
from online education sources.
New law requires the continuing education to be obtained, whether in-person or online,
through any continuing education program that is one of the following:
(1)Offered by a nationally recognized optometric association.
(2)Offered by a state affiliate of a nationally recognized optometric association or a
regional council composed of state affiliates of a nationally recognized optometric
association.
(3)Offered by a school or college of optometry accredited by the American Optometric
Association Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
(4)Accredited by a nationally recognized organization.
Effective August 1, 2023.
(Amends R.S. 37:1042(A), (B)(1), and (D)(1) and 1056(2))