HB4929 EnrolledLRB102 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 COVID-19 vaccine upon the completion of appropriate
10training, as described in subsection (c). Vaccinations for
11COVID-19 shall be limited to patients 17 years of age and
12older.
13    (b) The optometrist shall administer the COVID-19 vaccine
14and must not delegate the administration to an assistant or
15any other person. Vaccination of a patient by an optometrist
16shall be documented in the patient's record and shall include:
17        (1) the vaccine administered;
18        (2) the site of injection of the vaccine;
19        (3) the name, dose, manufacturer, lot number, and
20    beyond-use date of the vaccine;
21        (4) the name and address of the patient's primary
22    health care provider named by the patient;
23        (5) a notation that the patient was presented with the

 

 

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

 

 

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1optometrist from the requirements of this subsection if the
2optometrist has completed the training required under a
3proclamation issued by the Secretary on March 24, 2021 to
4authorize licensed optometrists to administer COVID-19
5vaccines. An optometrist who is granted an exemption from the
6Department is required to maintain the training required by
7this subsection.
8    (d) An optometrist administering an immunization pursuant
9to this Section may also initiate and administer epinephrine
10or diphenhydramine by injection for the treatment of a severe
11allergic reaction to an immunization.
12    (e) As applicable to the State Medicaid program and other
13payers, a vaccine ordered and administered in accordance with
14this Section shall be covered and reimbursed at no less than
15the rate the vaccine is reimbursed when ordered and
16administered by a physician.
17    (f) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to
18implement this Section.
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20becoming law.