Establishes the save our sight program and the save our sight fund to promote vision health and safety for children; targets children with amblyopia for support regarding such children's vision; provides for information to be disseminated by the department of motor vehicles and for voluntary contributions to the fund.

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S1233-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO HEALTH

S1233-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1233

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the public health law, the vehicle and
traffic law and the state finance law, in relation to establishing the
save our sight program and the save our sight fund

PURPOSE:
To  establish  the  "Save  Our  Sight Program" and the "Save Our Sight
Fund" to help raise funds for  vision  screening  programs  to  detect
vision problems in children.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section  1  amends  the  Public  Health Law by adding a new Section 22
whereby the Health Commissioner in conjunction with the Motor Vehicles
Commissioner establishes a "Save Our Sight Program." The program  will
provide support to nonprofit organizations that offer vision screening
and  education  services,  as well as implement a voluntary children's
vision screening training and certification program for caregivers and
teachers; track amblyopia treatment in children; establish a  matching
grant  program  for  the purchase of protective eye wear for children;
and provide vision health and safety program materials to classrooms.

Section 2 amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law by adding a  new  Section
401-c  that  establishes  a  program  whereby  people  applying for or
renewing  motor  vehicle  registrations   or   driver   licenses   may
voluntarily contribute $1 to the "Save Our Sight Fund."

Section  3  amends the State Finance Law by adding a new Section 81 to
create the "Save Our Sight Fund." All monies of the fund shall be made
available from the  State  Comptroller  to  the  Commissioner  of  the
Department of Health for the "Save Our Sight Program".

JUSTIFICATION:
This  legislation  would  provide  for a $1 voluntary check-off box on
motor vehicle and  driver  license  registration  and  renewal  forms.
Contributions raised would be administered by the Department of Health
to support programs to help detect and prevent blindness in children.

Greater  attention  needs  to  be  paid  to the vision of children, as
vision disorders are one of  the  most  prevalent  disabilities  among
youth.  Untreated  eye  problems,  such  as  amblyopia (lazy eye), eye
injuries, muscle imbalances and color blindness in children  can  lead
to   difficulties  in  learning  and  behavior  as  well  as  eventual
blindness. Since, according  to  Prevent  Blindness,  vision  problems
affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school-age children,
screening  should  be  widespread.  Also, treatment is most successful
when problems are detected early. Yet,  approximately  80  percent  of
children  under  age six (more than 1.3 million New York children) are
not being screened for vision problems before they enter school.  This
legislation provides for an easy mechanism to raise funds for a vision
screening program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:


2011-12: S.1764 - Referred to Health
2009-10: S.1126 - Referred to Health;
         Reported and Committed to Finance
2007-08: S.2926 - Referred to Health
2005-06: S.1467 - Referred to Health
2003-04: S.1984 - Referred to Health
2001-02: S.1499 - Referred to Health

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

S1233-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    1233

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sens.  PERKINS,  DIAZ, DILAN, HASSELL-THOMPSON, KRUEGER,
    MONTGOMERY, PARKER, STAVISKY -- read twice and  ordered  printed,  and
    when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

  AN  ACT  to amend the public health law, the vehicle and traffic law and
    the state finance law, in relation to establishing the save our  sight
    program and the save our sight fund

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 23
  to read as follows:

    S 23. SAVE OUR SIGHT PROGRAM. THE COMMISSIONER, IN  CONSULTATION  WITH
  THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES, IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO
  ESTABLISH WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, A SAVE OUR SIGHT PROGRAM.  SUCH PROGRAM
  SHALL:

    1.  PROVIDE  SUPPORT  TO  NONPROFIT  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT  OFFER VISION
  SCREENING AND EDUCATION SERVICES;
    2. IMPLEMENT A VOLUNTARY  CHILDREN'S  VISION  SCREENING  TRAINING  AND
  CERTIFICATION  PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEERS, CHILD DAY-CARE PROVIDERS, NURSES,
  TEACHERS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS PRACTICING IN PRIMARY CARE  SETTINGS
  AND FOR OTHER PERSONS SERVING CHILDREN;
    3.  DEVELOP  AND  IMPLEMENT  A  REGISTRY  AND  TARGETED VOLUNTARY CASE
  MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO  DETERMINE  WHETHER  CHILDREN  WITH  AMBLYOPIA  ARE
  RECEIVING PROFESSIONAL EYE CARE AND TO PROVIDE PARENTS AND LEGAL GUARDI-
  ANS  OF  CHILDREN  WITH AMBLYOPIA WITH INFORMATION AND SUPPORT REGARDING
  SUCH CHILDREN'S VISION;
    4. ESTABLISH A MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE  PURCHASE  AND  DISTRIB-
  UTION OF PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR TO CHILDREN;
    5.  PROVIDE  VISION HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS TO CLASS-
  ROOMS; AND

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00716-01-3

 S. 1233                             2

    6. FOR THE PURPOSES OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE-C OF THE  VEHICLE  AND
  TRAFFIC  LAW,  TO  DEVELOP  MATERIALS  ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE CARE AND
  SAFETY AND TO DELIVER SUCH MATERIALS TO THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR  VEHI-
  CLES  FOR  DISTRIBUTION  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE-C OF THE
  VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW.
    S  2.  The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
  401-c to read as follows:

    S 401-C. SAVE OUR SIGHT PROGRAM; VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION.  IN  ADDITION
  TO  THE  FEES  COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, EVERY APPLICATION FOR
  REGISTRATION OR RENEWAL REGISTRATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND EVERY APPLI-
  CATION FOR AN OPERATOR'S LICENSE OR FOR RENEWAL THEREOF SHALL PROVIDE AN
  OPTION TO THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE BEING REGISTERED OR APPLICANT TO MAKE
  A ONE-DOLLAR VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE SAVE OUR  SIGHT  FUND  ESTAB-
  LISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  EIGHTY-ONE  OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW. THE
  COMMISSIONER SHALL COLLECT SUCH ADDITIONAL ONE DOLLAR  FROM  ANY  PERSON
  WHO  OPTS  TO  CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH FUND. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ALSO MAKE
  AVAILABLE TO EVERY PERSON APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION OR RENEWAL REGISTRA-
  TION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND EVERY APPLICATION FOR AN OPERATOR'S  LICENSE
  OR FOR RENEWAL THEREOF MATERIALS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE CARE AND SAFE-
  TY   PROVIDED   BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  HEALTH  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
  TWENTY-THREE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW. THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  FORWARD
  ALL  MONEYS  RECEIVED  PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION TO THE
  COMPTROLLER FOR DEPOSIT INTO THE SAVE OUR SIGHT FUND ESTABLISHED  PURSU-
  ANT TO SECTION EIGHTY-ONE OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
    S  3.  The  state finance law is amended by adding a new section 81 to
  read as follows:

    S 81. SAVE OUR SIGHT FUND. 1.  THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  IN  THE
  CUSTODY  OF  THE  STATE  COMPTROLLER, A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE SAVE OUR
  SIGHT FUND.
    2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS APPROPRIATED FOR THE  PURPOSE
  OF  SUCH  FUND,  ALL MONEYS TRANSFERRED TO SUCH FUND PURSUANT TO LAW AND
  ALL MONEYS REQUIRED TO BE PAID TO THE CREDIT OF SUCH  FUND  PURSUANT  TO
  SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE-C OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW.
    3.  MONEYS  OF THE FUND SHALL BE AVAILABLE FOR APPROPRIATION AND ALLO-
  CATION ONLY TO THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH FOR THE PURPOSES  OF  CARRYING
  OUT  THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION TWENTY-THREE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW AND
  SECTION FOUR HUNDRED ONE-C OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW.
    4. MONEYS OF THE FUND, WHEN AVAILABLE, SHALL BE PAID OUT ON THE  AUDIT
  AND  WARRANT OF THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS CERTIFIED OR APPROVED BY THE
  COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH OR BY AN OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
  HEALTH DESIGNATED BY SUCH COMMISSIONER.
    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.