Amendment ID: S3111-28-R1

Redraft Amendment 28

Establishing a Children's Vision Registry

Messrs. Moore and Tarr move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 36 the following section:-

“SECTION 36A. Section 57 of said chapter 71, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “personnel”, in line 52, the following words:- and the children’s vision registry established in section 250 of chapter 111.

SECTION 36B. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 249 the following section:-

Section 250. (a) The department shall establish, maintain and operate a computerized registry of children’s vision screening and eye care to support the early identification of vision and eye health conditions in children, promote referrals and follow-up care and monitor access to and equity in children’s vision care in the commonwealth. The registry shall collect and maintain information concerning children’s vision and eye health screenings, referrals, eye examinations and follow-up eye care, including information reported pursuant to section 57.

(b) The department, in consultation with the board of elementary and secondary education, shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement this section. The regulations shall establish: (i) the persons and entities required or permitted to report information to the registry; (ii) the data to be reported; (iii) the form, manner and frequency of reporting; (iv) standards for security, confidentiality, user authentication and access control; (v) procedures by which an individual or, if the individual is a minor, the individual’s parent or guardian, may object to the

disclosure of personally identifiable information; (vi) procedures to correct inaccurate information; and (vii) any other requirements necessary to implement this section.

(c) Licensed healthcare providers who administer children’s vision or eye health screenings, conduct children’s eye examinations or provide follow-up eye care to children and any other person or entity designated by the department by regulation shall report to the registry such information as the department determines is necessary for the purposes of this section in accordance with the department’s regulations.

(d) The department shall develop appropriate safeguards to protect the security of the registry and the privacy of information contained within the registry. Personally identifiable information in the registry shall not be disclosed except as provided in this section or in regulations promulgated pursuant to this section. Unless the individual or, if the individual is a minor, the individual’s parent or guardian, objects in the form and manner prescribed by the department, personally identifiable information may be released to: (i) licensed healthcare providers providing direct care to the child; (ii) school nurses and other school personnel responsible for screening, referral or follow-up for the child; (iii) employees or contractors of the department or staff of state agencies or state programs whose duties include case management, outreach, quality improvement or program evaluation related to children’s vision care; and (iv) the individual or, if the individual is a minor, the individual’s parent or guardian.

(e) Persons authorized by the commissioner may conduct research studies using information in the registry; provided, however, that the researcher submits a written request for information and executes a data use or research agreement that protects the confidentiality of the information provided.

(f) Information contained in the children’s vision registry shall be confidential, shall not constitute a public record and shall not otherwise be disclosed, except in accordance with this section.”