Eyeglass prescription provider bill passes House

A bill that would further restrict the kinds of health professionals who can authorize prescription eyeglasses passed the House 126-0 Monday.

Rep. Nick Zerwas

Sponsored by Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River), HF2746 now moves to the Senate where Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) is the sponsor.

Zerwas described it as a “cleanup bill” that would fix a bug in legislation passed last year by striking language that allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to distribute a new pair of glasses using a prescription from old lenses or the last available prescription.

Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester) took issue with the idea this being a noncontroversial bill, and asked why physician assistants and advanced practice nurses were being written out of the law. She said the optometrists support the change but physician assistants do not.

Zerwas responded by saying there was in fact “peace in the valley,” and said the bill last year would have been fine by all stakeholders were it not for the Senate sticking in the eyeglass provision.