SB 467

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to establish a registry of

children who are under the age of three and who are diagnosed with blindness or

visual impairment. The purpose of the registry is to connect parents or guardians

of children with blindness or visual impairment with services provided by nonprofit

organizations and paid for by DHS. The bill defines visual impairment as a

permanent and irremediable or degenerative ocular or neurological condition that

significantly and adversely affects or will affect the child's visual functioning,

developmental progress, or educational performance. A physician, optometrist, or

ophthalmologist who diagnoses blindness or visual impairment in a child who is

under the age of three must notify a parent or guardian of the child of the existence

of the registry and that the registry provides connections to services provided by

nonprofit organizations, and paid for by DHS, to children who have blindness or

visual impairment and their families. Similarly, any health care provider or other

qualified professional that provides early intervention services for a child under the

age of three that the health care provider or qualified health professional suspects

is experiencing vision loss must notify a parent or guardian of the child of the

existence of the registry.

If a parent or guardian elects to include the child on the registry, the physician,

optometrist, ophthalmologist, health care provider, or other qualified professional

must submit certain information, including the contact information for the parent

or guardian, to DHS for inclusion in the registry. The bill directs DHS to refer any

child included on the registry for a functional vision evaluation conducted by a

teacher of the visually impaired who is licensed by the Department of Public

Instruction. Based on the results of the evaluation, the teacher of the visually

impaired shall determine whether the child requires direct or consultative vision

services from a teacher of the visually impaired as part of the Birth to 3 Program.

The Birth to 3 Program is a federally mandated program that supports children

under the age of three with developmental delays or disabilities. The bill also

provides that the teacher of the visually impaired who conducts the functional vision

evaluation shall refer the child for an orientation and mobility assessment conducted

by an orientation and mobility specialist who is licensed by DPI if the results of the

functional vision evaluation demonstrate that it is appropriate. Finally, the bill

provides that DHS shall contract with a nonprofit organization that meets certain

requirements to manage the registry and provide relevant information about

services available for children with blindness or visual impairment to parents and

guardians included on the registry upon request and free of charge.