SB 720 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school health services, further providing for health services and for vision screening and examinations, providing for eye health and vision examinations and further providing for examinations by examiners of own choice.

PRINTER'S NO.   733

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 720
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY GEBHARD, PENNYCUICK AND LAUGHLIN, MAY 2, 2025

     REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MAY 2, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in school health services, further
 6      providing for health services and for vision screening and
 7      examinations, providing for eye health and vision
 8      examinations and further providing for examinations by
 9      examiners of own choice.
10      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11   hereby enacts as follows:
12      Section 1.    Section 1402(a) of the act of March 10, 1949
13   (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
14   amended to read:
15      Section 1402.    Health Services.--(a)   Each child of school
16   age shall be given by methods established by the Advisory Health
17   Board, (1) a hearing test by a school nurse or medical
18   technician, (1.1) a vision screening by school health personnel
19   or a vision screener or an eye health and vision examination by
20   an ophthalmologist or optometrist, and (2) a measurement of
21   height and weight by a school nurse or teacher, who shall use
22   the measurement to compute a child's weight-for-height ratio[,
 1   (3) tests for tuberculosis under medical supervision, and (4)
 2   such other tests as the Advisory Health Board may deem advisable
 3   to protect the health of the child]. A vision screening or an
 4   eye health and vision examination shall be performed on an
 5   annual basis.
 6      * * *
 7      Section 2.   Section 1403.1(a)(1) and (2), (b)(1) and (2) and
 8   (d) of the act, amended July 11, 2024 (P.L.618, No.55), are
 9   amended to read:
10      Section 1403.1.   Vision Screening and Examinations.--(a)    (1)
11   Prior to admission to school for the first time, a parent or
12   legal guardian shall present to the school entity or nonpublic
13   school certification from [a primary care provider or vision
14   screener that the child has passed or failed a vision screening
15   performed by a primary care provider or a vision screening
16   conducted by screeners with specific training in vision
17   screening techniques and protocols approved by the Department of
18   Health or has completed] an ophthalmologist or optometrist that
19   the child has passed or failed a comprehensive eye health and
20   vision exam conducted by an ophthalmologist or optometrist
21   within the previous twelve months.
22      (2)   The Department of Health shall promulgate regulations to
23   establish vision screening standards based on instrument-based
24   vision screening technologies or visual acuity testing, taking
25   into consideration national guidelines from the American Academy
26   of Pediatrics, American Optometric Association and American
27   Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.
28      * * *
29      (b)   (1) [Every] Except as provided under section 1403.2,
30   every school year at a school entity or nonpublic school, until

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 1   a child completes the fifth grade and at least every two years
 2   thereafter until the child graduates from the twelfth grade, the
 3   child shall have a vision screening performed by school health
 4   personnel or screeners with specific training in vision
 5   screening techniques and protocols approved by the Department of
 6   Health. The results of the vision screening shall be supplied to
 7   the parent or legal guardian of the child.
 8      (2)    For a child who fails a required vision screening, a
 9   comprehensive eye health and vision examination, performed by an
10   ophthalmologist or optometrist, shall also be required.
11   Notification of the parent or legal guardian of the failed
12   screening shall be accompanied by notification of requirement
13   for a comprehensive eye health and vision examination that must
14   be completed within one hundred twenty (120) days or before the
15   start of the next school year, whichever comes first, and a list
16   of vision resources compiled by the Department of Health.
17   Notification may also include a form, to be completed by the
18   examining ophthalmologist or optometrist, to be used for
19   reporting the results of the examination. The report may
20   include, but not be limited to, the following:
21      (i)    Date of report.
22      (ii)    Name, address and date of birth of the child.
23      (iii)    Name of the child's school.
24      (iv)    A summary of significant findings, including best
25   corrected visual acuity, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and
26   whether or not a return visit is recommended and, if so, when.
27      (v)    Recommended educational adjustments for the child, if
28   any, which may include preferential seating in the classroom,
29   eyeglasses for full-time use in school, eyeglasses for part-time
30   use in school, sight-saving eyeglasses or any other

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 1   recommendations.
 2      (vi)     Name, address and signature of the examiner.
 3      * * *
 4      (d)     A school entity or nonpublic school shall not be
 5   required to provide comprehensive eye health and vision
 6   examinations or held financially responsible for the treatment
 7   of a child who fails the required vision screening.
 8      * * *
 9      Section 3.     The act is amended by adding a section to read:
10      Section 1403.2.     Eye Health and Vision Examinations.--(a)
11   Except as provided under subsections (c) and (e), children of
12   school age in this Commonwealth shall be given an eye health and
13   vision examination:
14      (1)     upon admission to school;
15      (2)     while in the fourth grade;
16      (3)     while in the eighth grade;
17      (4)     as part of the evaluation of and prior to the student
18   becoming subject to 29 U.S.C. § 794 (relating to
19   nondiscrimination under Federal grants and programs); and
20      (5)     as part of the evaluation of and prior to the student's
21   enrollment in a Title I reading program as defined by 20 U.S.C.
22   Ch. 70 Subch. I (relating to improving the academic achievement
23   of the disadvantaged).
24      (b)     A school district or joint school board that institutes
25   an eye health and vision examination program under subsection
26   (c) shall be exempt from providing eye health and vision
27   examinations as required under subsection (a).
28      (c)     A school district or joint school board may institute an
29   eye health and vision examination program for children of school
30   age. Before a school district or joint school board institutes

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 1   an eye health and vision examination program under this
 2   subsection, the program shall be approved by the Secretary of
 3   Health.
 4      (d)    The parent or guardian of a child of school age shall
 5   submit evidence that the child received an eye health and vision
 6   examination in accordance with subsection (a).
 7      (e)    This section shall apply to a child who is enrolled in a
 8   public or nonpublic school.
 9      (f)    As used in this section, the term "eye health and vision
10   examination" means an evaluation performed by an ophthalmologist
11   or optometrist that includes all of the following:
12      (1)    An evaluation of vision history.
13      (2)    An external and internal ophthalmic examination.
14      (3)    An assessment of vision acuity, ocular alignment and
15   motility and refraction.
16      (4)    An assessment of accommodation and binocular vision.
17      Section 4.    Section 1407 of the act is amended to read:
18      Section 1407.    Examinations by Examiners of Own Choice.--In
19   lieu of the medical or dental examinations prescribed by this
20   article, any child of school age may furnish the local school
21   officials with a medical or dental report of examination made at
22   his own expense by his family physician [or], family dentist,
23   ophthalmologist or optometrist on a form approved by the
24   Secretary of Health for this purpose. The in lieu examinations
25   shall be made and the report shall be furnished prior to the
26   date fixed for the regularly scheduled examination but no
27   earlier than four months prior to the opening of the school term
28   during which the regular examination is scheduled.
29      Section 5.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.



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