State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_HB0800eng

 
HB0800 Engrossed                               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        Section 10.   Dispensing  contact  lenses.  A  mail-order
18    ophthalmic provider may dispense contact lenses in this State
19    or  to  a  patient  in  this  State only in accordance with a
20    contact lens prescription.

21        Section 15.   Rules.   The  Department  shall  promulgate
22    rules,  as  may  be necessary, for the administration of this
23    Act,   including   without   limitation    rules    requiring
24    registration  and  certification  of  mail  order  ophthalmic
25    providers  under  Section  20.  Notice of proposed rulemaking
26    shall be transmitted to the Illinois Optometric Licensing and
27    Disciplinary Board,  and  the  Department  shall  review  the
28    response from the Board and any recommendations it makes.
 
HB0800 Engrossed           -2-                 LRB9104240ACtm
 1        Section  20.  Nonresident  mail-order  opthalmic provider
 2    registration.
 3        (a)  The Department shall  require  and  provide  for  an
 4    annual  registration  for all mail-order ophthalmic providers
 5    located outside of  this  State,  including  those  providing
 6    services  via  the  Internet, that dispense contact lenses to
 7    Illinois  residents.   A  mail-order  ophthalmic   provider's
 8    registration  shall  be  granted  by  the Department upon the
 9    disclosure  and  certification  by  a  mail-order  ophthalmic
10    provider of all of the following:
11             (1)  That it is licensed or registered to distribute
12        contact lenses in  the  state  in  which  the  dispensing
13        facility is located and from which the contact lenses are
14        dispensed, if required.
15             (2)  The   location,   names,   and  titles  of  all
16        principal  corporate  officers  and  the  person  who  is
17        responsible for  overseeing  the  dispensing  of  contact
18        lenses to residents of this State.
19             (3)  That it complies with all lawful directions and
20        appropriate requests for information from the appropriate
21        agency   of  each  state  in  which  it  is  licensed  or
22        registered.
23             (4)  That  it   will   respond   directly   to   all
24        communications  from  the Department concerning emergency
25        circumstances arising  from  the  dispensing  of  contact
26        lenses to residents of this State.
27             (5)  That it maintains its records of contact lenses
28        dispensed  to residents of this State so that the records
29        are readily retrievable.
30             (6)  That  it  cooperates  with  the  Department  in
31        providing information to the appropriate  agency  of  the
32        state  in  which  it is licensed or registered concerning
33        matters related to the dispensing of  contact  lenses  to
34        residents of this State.
 
HB0800 Engrossed           -3-                 LRB9104240ACtm
 1             (7)  That  it  conducts  business  in  a manner that
 2        conforms with Section 10 of this Act.
 3             (8)  That it provides a toll-free telephone  service
 4        for responding to patient questions and complaints during
 5        its  regular  hours  of  operation.  The toll-free number
 6        shall be included  in  literature  provided  with  mailed
 7        contact  lenses.   All questions relating to eye care for
 8        the lenses prescribed  shall  be  referred  back  to  the
 9        contact lens prescriber.
10             (9)  That   it   provides   the   following   or   a
11        substantially  equivalent  written  notification  to  the
12        patient  whenever  contact lenses are supplied:  WARNING:
13        IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY OF THE  FOLLOWING  SYMPTOMS  REMOVE
14        YOUR   LENSES  IMMEDIATELY  AND  CONSULT  YOUR  EYE  CARE
15        PRACTITIONER   BEFORE   WEARING   YOUR   LENSES    AGAIN:
16        UNEXPLAINED  EYE  DISCOMFORT, WATERING, VISION CHANGE, OR
17        REDNESS.
18        (b)  The Department shall provide a copy of this Act  and
19    its  rules,  and the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987
20    and its rules, with each application for registration.

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

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

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

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