Senate Bill 0148e1

    SB 148                                         First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to school-entry health and

  3         vision examinations; amending s. 232.0315,

  4         F.S.; requiring children who enter public or

  5         nonpublic schools in this state to present

  6         evidence of having passed a vision screening or

  7         having received a comprehensive vision

  8         examination; providing an exemption; deleting

  9         provisions relating to rulemaking authority

10         with respect to medical examinations; providing

11         an effective date.

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13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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15         Section 1.  Section 232.0315, Florida Statutes, is

16  amended to read:

17         232.0315  School-entry health examinations.--

18         (1)  The school board of each district and the

19  governing authority of each nonpublic school shall require

20  that each child who is entitled to admittance to

21  prekindergarten or kindergarten, or is entitled to any other

22  initial entrance into a public or nonpublic school in this

23  state, present a certification of a school-entry health

24  examination and a certification of having passed a

25  school-entry vision screening or of having taken a

26  comprehensive vision examination and analysis after failing a

27  vision screening. The required health examination and vision

28  test must have been performed within 1 year prior to

29  enrollment in school.  The school board of each district, and

30  the governing authority of each nonpublic school, may

31  establish a policy which permits a student up to 30 school


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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    SB 148                                         First Engrossed



  1  days to present a certification of a school-entry health

  2  examination and up to 120 days to present a certification of a

  3  school-entry vision screening and, if required, a

  4  certification of a comprehensive vision examination and

  5  analysis.  Any school board that which establishes such a

  6  policy shall include provisions in its local school health

  7  services plan to assist students in obtaining the health and

  8  vision examinations.  However, any child shall be exempt from

  9  the examinations requirement of a health examination upon

10  written request of the parent or guardian of such child

11  stating objections to such examination on religious grounds.

12         (2)  The Department of Education, subject to the

13  concurrence of the Department of Health Department of Health

14  and Rehabilitative Services, shall adopt rules to govern

15  medical examinations performed under this section.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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