State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_HB0800enr

 
HB0800 Enrolled                                LRB9104240ACtm

 1        AN ACT concerning contact lenses.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 5    Mail Order Contact Lens Act.

 6        Section 5.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
 7        "Contact lens prescription" means a written order bearing
 8    the  original  signature  of  a  duly licensed optometrist or
 9    physician or an oral or electronic order issued  directly  by
10    an optometrist or physician that authorizes the dispensing of
11    contact lenses to a patient.
12        "Department"   means   the   Department  of  Professional
13    Regulation.
14        "Mail-order ophthalmic provider"  means  an  entity  that
15    dispenses  contact  lenses  through  the United States Postal
16    Service or other common carrier to Illinois residents.
17        "Physician" means a person licensed to practice  medicine
18    in all its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

19        Section  10.   Dispensing  contact  lenses.  A mail-order
20    ophthalmic provider may dispense contact lenses in this State
21    or to a patient in this  State  only  in  accordance  with  a
22    contact lens prescription.

23        Section  15.   Rules.   The  Department  shall promulgate
24    rules, as may be necessary, for the  administration  of  this
25    Act,    including    without   limitation   rules   requiring
26    registration  and  certification  of  mail  order  ophthalmic
27    providers under Section 20.  Notice  of  proposed  rulemaking
28    shall be transmitted to the Illinois Optometric Licensing and
29    Disciplinary  Board,  and the Medical Licensing Board and the
 
HB0800 Enrolled           -2-                  LRB9104240ACtm
 1    Department shall review the response from the Boards and  any
 2    recommendations they make.

 3        Section  20.  Nonresident  mail-order  opthalmic provider
 4    registration.
 5        (a)  The Department shall  require  and  provide  for  an
 6    annual  registration  for all mail-order ophthalmic providers
 7    located outside of  this  State,  including  those  providing
 8    services  via  the  Internet, that dispense contact lenses to
 9    Illinois  residents.   A  mail-order  ophthalmic   provider's
10    registration  shall  be  granted  by  the Department upon the
11    disclosure  and  certification  by  a  mail-order  ophthalmic
12    provider of all of the following:
13             (1)  That it is licensed or registered to distribute
14        contact lenses in  the  state  in  which  the  dispensing
15        facility is located and from which the contact lenses are
16        dispensed, if required.
17             (2)  The   location,   names,   and  titles  of  all
18        principal  corporate  officers  and  the  person  who  is
19        responsible for  overseeing  the  dispensing  of  contact
20        lenses to residents of this State.
21             (3)  That it complies with all lawful directions and
22        appropriate requests for information from the appropriate
23        agency   of  each  state  in  which  it  is  licensed  or
24        registered.
25             (4)  That  it   will   respond   directly   to   all
26        communications  from  the Department concerning emergency
27        circumstances arising  from  the  dispensing  of  contact
28        lenses to residents of this State.
29             (5)  That it maintains its records of contact lenses
30        dispensed  to residents of this State so that the records
31        are readily retrievable.
32             (6)  That  it  cooperates  with  the  Department  in
33        providing information to the appropriate  agency  of  the
 
HB0800 Enrolled           -3-                  LRB9104240ACtm
 1        state  in  which  it is licensed or registered concerning
 2        matters related to the dispensing of  contact  lenses  to
 3        residents of this State.
 4             (7)  That  it  conducts  business  in  a manner that
 5        conforms with Section 10 of this Act.
 6             (8)  That it provides a toll-free telephone  service
 7        for responding to patient questions and complaints during
 8        its  regular  hours  of  operation.  The toll-free number
 9        shall be included  in  literature  provided  with  mailed
10        contact  lenses.   All questions relating to eye care for
11        the lenses prescribed  shall  be  referred  back  to  the
12        contact lens prescriber.
13             (9)  That   it   provides   the   following   or   a
14        substantially  equivalent  written  notification  to  the
15        patient  whenever  contact lenses are supplied:  WARNING:
16        IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY OF THE  FOLLOWING  SYMPTOMS  REMOVE
17        YOUR   LENSES  IMMEDIATELY  AND  CONSULT  YOUR  EYE  CARE
18        PRACTITIONER   BEFORE   WEARING   YOUR   LENSES    AGAIN:
19        UNEXPLAINED  EYE  DISCOMFORT, WATERING, VISION CHANGE, OR
20        REDNESS.
21        (b)  The Department shall provide a copy of this Act  and
22    its  rules,  and the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987
23    and its rules, with each application for registration.

24        Section 25.  Fees.  The Department shall provide by  rule
25    for a schedule of fees for the administration and enforcement
26    of this Act. The fees shall be nonrefundable.
27        All fees collected under this Act shall be deposited into
28    the  General  Professions  Dedicated  Fund  and,  subject  to
29    appropriation,  shall  be  used  by  the  Department  for the
30    ordinary and contingent expenses of  the  Department  in  the
31    administration of this Act.

32        Section 30.  Violation; civil penalty.
 
HB0800 Enrolled           -4-                  LRB9104240ACtm
 1        (a)  Any  person  who  dispenses,  offers to dispense, or
 2    attempts to dispense contact lenses in violation of this  Act
 3    or its rules shall, in addition to any other penalty provided
 4    by  law,  pay  a civil penalty to the Department in an amount
 5    not to exceed $5,000 for each offense as  determined  by  the
 6    Department.  The  civil  penalty  shall  be  assessed  by the
 7    Department after a hearing is held  in  accordance  with  the
 8    provisions set forth in the Illinois Administrative Procedure
 9    Act.
10        (b)  The  Department  may  investigate  all violations of
11    this Act.
12        (c)  The civil penalty shall be paid within 60 days after
13    the effective date of the order imposing the  civil  penalty.
14    The  order  constitutes  a  judgment  and  may  be  filed and
15    execution had thereon in the same manner as any judgment from
16    any court of record.

17        Section 35.  Deposit of civil penalties;  appropriations.
18    All of the civil penalties  collected under this Act shall be
19    deposited  in  the  General  Professions Dedicated Fund.  All
20    moneys in the Fund  shall  be  used  by  the  Department,  as
21    appropriated, for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the
22    Department.

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