The Florida Senate

CS/HB 449: Optometry

GENERAL BILL by Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee ; Rizo

Optometry; Revises membership requirements for Board of Optometry; revises & provides rules to be implemented by board; revises requirements for administration & prescription of ocular pharmaceutical agents & provisions related to topical & oral ocular pharmaceutical agent formularies established by board; authorizes optometrist certified in ophthalmic procedures to perform certain procedures; requires board to determine required content, grading criteria, & passing score for such examination; authorizes certain procedures certified optometrist may perform; prohibits commercial or mercantile establishment from having any control over manner in which licensee practices optometry; removes provision prohibiting surgery of any kind; authorizes specified titles & abbreviations for certified optometrists; provides requirements for advertisements; provides requirements for demonstration of financial responsibility as term of licensure.

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• Bill History

  Date	Chamber	Action
  2/6/2025	House	• Filed
  2/12/2025	House	• Referred to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee • Referred to Health & Human Services Committee • Now in Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
  3/4/2025	House	• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  3/18/2025	House	• Added to Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee agenda
  3/20/2025	House	• Favorable with CS by Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
  3/21/2025	House	• Reported out of Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee • Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) • CS Filed
  3/24/2025	House	• 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
  3/25/2025	House	• Referred to Health & Human Services Committee • Now in Health & Human Services Committee
  4/11/2025	House	• Added to Health & Human Services Committee agenda
  4/15/2025	House	• Favorable with CS by Health & Human Services Committee

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• CS/HB 449, Committee Substitute 1 (Current Bill Version) Posted 3/21/2025 at 12:55 PM

  Bill Text:	PDF

  Analyses:	Health & Human Services Committee (Post-Meeting) 4/14/2025 (pdf)

  Committee Amendments (1)

  Amendment	Sponsor	Filed	Last Committee Action	Format
  696613 - Amendment Remove lines 53-626 and insert:	Rizo	4/14/2025 7:24 PM	Adopted without Objection 4/15/2025	PDF

  Citations - Statutes (14)

  Citation	Catchline	Location in Bill Location In Bill Help
  463.002	Definitions.	Page 3 (pdf)
  463.003	Board of Optometry.	Page 7 (pdf)
  463.005	Authority of the board.	Page 7 (pdf)
  463.0055	Administration and prescription of ocular pharmaceutical agents.	Page 9 (pdf)
  463.0056		Page 15 (pdf)
  463.006	Licensure and certification by examination.	Page 18 (pdf)
  463.007	Renewal of license; continuing education.	Page 20 (pdf)
  463.009	Supportive personnel.	Page 24 (pdf)
  463.0135	Standards of practice.	Page 20 (pdf)
  463.014	Certain acts prohibited.	Page 21 (pdf)
  463.0185		Page 24 (pdf)
  463.0186		Page 25 (pdf)
  463.0187		Page 26 (pdf)
  641.31	Health maintenance contracts.	Page 28 (pdf)

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• HB 449, Original Filed Version Posted 2/6/2025 at 11:21 AM

  Bill Text:	PDF

  Analyses:	Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) 3/21/2025 (pdf)

  Committee Amendments (1)

  Amendment	Sponsor	Filed	Last Committee Action	Format
  642651 - Amendment Remove lines 63-595 and insert:	Rizo	3/19/2025 7:59 PM	Adopted without Objection 3/20/2025	PDF

  Citations - Statutes (14)

  Citation	Catchline	Location in Bill Location In Bill Help
  463.002	Definitions.	Page 3 (pdf)
  463.003	Board of Optometry.	Page 6 (pdf)
  463.005	Authority of the board.	Page 7 (pdf)
  463.0055	Administration and prescription of ocular pharmaceutical agents.	Page 9 (pdf)
  463.0056		Page 15 (pdf)
  463.006	Licensure and certification by examination.	Page 17 (pdf)
  463.007	Renewal of license; continuing education.	Page 20 (pdf)
  463.009	Supportive personnel.	Page 23 (pdf)
  463.0135	Standards of practice.	Page 20 (pdf)
  463.014	Certain acts prohibited.	Page 21 (pdf)
  463.0185		Page 24 (pdf)
  463.0186		Page 25 (pdf)
  463.0187		Page 25 (pdf)
  641.31	Health maintenance contracts.	Page 27 (pdf)

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