102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4929

 

Introduced 1/27/2022, by Rep. Theresa Mah and Dagmara Avelar

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 80/31 new

    Amends the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987. Provides that a licensed optometrist may independently administer the influenza vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine, or the shingles vaccine upon completion of the required training. Provides that vaccinations for influenza and COVID-19 shall be limited to patients 5 years of age and older. Provides that the shingles vaccine shall be administered to patients pursuant to guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provides that vaccines must be administered by the optometrist and cannot be delegated to an assistant. Provides that vaccination shall be documented in the patients record and shall include: the vaccine administered; the site of injection; the name, dose, manufacturer, lot number, and beyond-use date of the vaccine; the name and address of the patients primary health care provider named by the patient; a notation that the patient was presented with the appropriate vaccine information statement prior to administration of each vaccine; and any adverse events that followed the vaccination. Requires that the optometrist must complete the necessary training and certification unless the optometrist has completed the training required under a proclamation issued by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation on March 24, 2021. Provides that an optometrist administering immunizations may also initiate and administer epinephrine or diphenhydramine by injection or the treatment of a severe allergic reaction to an immunization. Provides that vaccines ordered and administered in accordance with the amendatory Act shall be covered and reimbursed at no less than the rate the vaccine is reimbursed when ordered and administered by a physician. Allows the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to adopt any rules necessary to implement the amendatory Act.


LRB102 25768 AMQ 35098 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4929LRB102 25768 AMQ 35098 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987 is
5amended by adding Section 31 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 80/31 new)
7    Sec. 31. Administration of vaccines.
8    (a) A licensed optometrist may independently administer
9the influenza vaccine (inactivated influenza vaccine and live
10attenuated influenza intranasal vaccine), the COVID-19
11vaccine, or the shingles vaccine upon the completion of
12appropriate training, as described in subsection (c).
13Vaccinations for influenza and COVID-19 shall be limited to
14patients 5 years of age and older. Vaccinations for shingles
15shall be administered to patients pursuant to guidelines
16provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
17    (b) The optometrist shall administer the vaccine and must
18not delegate the administration to an assistant or any other
19person. Vaccination of a patient by an optometrist shall be
20documented in the patients record and shall include:
21        (1) the vaccine administered;
22        (2) the site of injection of the vaccine;
23        (3) the name, dose, manufacturer, lot number, and

 

 

HB4929- 2 -LRB102 25768 AMQ 35098 b

1    beyond-use date of the vaccine;
2        (4) the name and address of the patients primary
3    health care provider named by the patient;
4        (5) a notation that the patient was presented with the
5    appropriate vaccine information statement (VIS) prior to
6    the administration of each vaccine; and
7        (6) any adverse events that followed the vaccination.
8    (c) In order to initiate and administer an immunization
9described in subsection (b), an optometrist must:
10        (1) at a minimum, complete 4 hours of education in:
11    (i) an immunization training program endorsed by the
12    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (ii) the
13    injections course approved by the National Board of
14    Examiners in Optometry; or (iii) a course approved by the
15    Department that provides equivalent training provided by
16    an approved Continuing Education Sponsor. The training
17    must include, at a minimum, hands-on injection technique,
18    proper vaccine storage, clinic evaluation of indications
19    and contraindications of vaccines, and the recognition and
20    treatment of emergency reactions to vaccines, and the
21    optometrist shall maintain that training;
22        (2) be certified in basic life support; and
23        (3) comply with all State and federal recordkeeping
24    and reporting requirements, including providing
25    documentation to the patients primary care provider within
26    30 days of administering the vaccine and entering all

 

 

HB4929- 3 -LRB102 25768 AMQ 35098 b

1    patient level data on vaccines administered in the
2    immunization data registry (I-Care) maintained by the
3    Department of Public Health.
4    The Department, in its discretion, may exempt an
5optometrist from the requirements of this subsection if the
6optometrist has completed the training required under a
7proclamation issued by the Secretary on March 24, 2021 to
8authorize licensed optometrists to administer COVID-19
9vaccines. An optometrist who is granted an exemption from the
10Department is required to maintain the training required by
11this subsection.
12    (d) An optometrist administering immunizations pursuant to
13this Section may also initiate and administer epinephrine or
14diphenhydramine by injection for the treatment of a severe
15allergic reaction to an immunization.
16    (e) As applicable to the State Medicaid program and other
17payers, vaccines ordered and administered in accordance with
18this Section shall be covered and reimbursed at no less than
19the rate the vaccine is reimbursed when ordered and
20administered by a physician.
21    (f) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to
22implement this Section.