HF 2765

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/24/2025 03:04 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to health occupations; modifying optometry scope of practice; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 148.56, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 148.56, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Optometry defined.

(a) Any person shall be deemed to be practicing
optometry within the meaning of sections 148.52 to 148.62 who shall in any way:

(1) advertise as an optometrist;

(2) employ any means, including the use of autorefractors or other automated testing
devices, for the measurement of the powers of vision or the adaptation of lenses or prisms
for the aid thereof;

(3) possess testing appliances for the purpose of the measurement of the powers of vision;

(4) diagnose any disease, optical deficiency or deformity, or visual or muscular anomaly
of the visual system consisting of the human eye and its accessory or subordinate anatomical
parts;

(5) prescribe lenses, including plano or cosmetic contact lenses, or prisms for the
correction or the relief of same;

(6) employ or prescribe ocular exercises, orthoptics, or habilitative and rehabilitative
therapeutic vision care; or

(7) prescribe or administer legend drugs to aid in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation,
prevention, treatment, or management of disease, deficiency, deformity, or abnormality of
the human eye and adnexa included in the curricula of accredited schools or colleges of
optometry, and as limited by Minnesota statute and adopted rules by the Board of Optometry,
or who holds oneself out as being able to do so.

(b) In the course of treatment, nothing in this section shall allow:

(1) legend drugs to be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or by injection,
except for treatment of anaphylaxis;

(2) deleted text begin invasive deleted text end surgery including deleted text begin , deleted text end but not limited to deleted text begin , deleted text end surgery using lasers;

(3) Schedule II and III oral legend drugs and oral steroids to be administered or
prescribed;

(4) oral antivirals to be prescribed or administered for more than ten days; or

(5) oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors to be prescribed or administered for more than
seven days.

new text begin (c) For purposes of this subdivision, "surgery" has the meaning most recently adopted
and published by the American Medical Association and the standards established by the
American College of Surgeons.
new text end