HB4929 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 25768 AMQ 35098 b

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.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987 is amended by adding Section 31 as follows:

(225 ILCS 80/31 new)

Sec. 31. Administration of vaccines.

(a) A licensed optometrist may independently administer the influenza vaccine (inactivated influenza vaccine and live attenuated influenza intranasal vaccine), the COVID-19 vaccine, or the shingles vaccine upon the completion of appropriate training, as described in subsection (c). Vaccinations for influenza and COVID-19 shall be limited to patients 5 years of age and older. Vaccinations for shingles shall be administered to patients pursuant to guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(b) The optometrist shall administer the vaccine and must not delegate the administration to an assistant or any other person. Vaccination of a patient by an optometrist shall be documented in the patients record and shall include:

(1) the vaccine administered;

(2) the site of injection of the vaccine;

(3) the name, dose, manufacturer, lot number, and beyond-use date of the vaccine;

(4) the name and address of the patients primary health care provider named by the patient;

(5) a notation that the patient was presented with the appropriate vaccine information statement (VIS) prior to the administration of each vaccine; and

(6) any adverse events that followed the vaccination.

(c) In order to initiate and administer an immunization described in subsection (b), an optometrist must:

(1) at a minimum, complete 4 hours of education in: (i) an immunization training program endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (ii) the injections course approved by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry; or (iii) a course approved by the Department that provides equivalent training provided by an approved Continuing Education Sponsor. The training must include, at a minimum, hands-on injection technique, proper vaccine storage, clinic evaluation of indications and contraindications of vaccines, and the recognition and treatment of emergency reactions to vaccines, and the optometrist shall maintain that training;

(2) be certified in basic life support; and

(3) comply with all State and federal recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including providing documentation to the patients primary care provider within 30 days of administering the vaccine and entering all patient level data on vaccines administered in the immunization data registry (I-Care) maintained by the Department of Public Health.

The Department, in its discretion, may exempt an optometrist from the requirements of this subsection if the optometrist has completed the training required under a proclamation issued by the Secretary on March 24, 2021 to authorize licensed optometrists to administer COVID-19 vaccines. An optometrist who is granted an exemption from the Department is required to maintain the training required by this subsection.

(d) An optometrist administering immunizations pursuant to this Section may also initiate and administer epinephrine or diphenhydramine by injection for the treatment of a severe allergic reaction to an immunization.

(e) As applicable to the State Medicaid program and other payers, vaccines ordered and administered in accordance with this Section shall be covered and reimbursed at no less than the rate the vaccine is reimbursed when ordered and administered by a physician.

(f) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.