1Providing for the Early Childhood Vision Care Education Program
2and for powers and duties of the Department of Health.

3The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4hereby enacts as follows:

5Section 1. Short title.

6This act shall be known and may be cited as the Early
7Childhood Vision Care Education Act.

8Section 2. Findings.

9The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

10(1) The National Institute of Health reports that many
11vision problems develop before children reach school age.

12(2) According to the Centers for Disease Control, less
13than 15% of all preschool children receive an eye exam and
14less than 22% of preschool children receive some type of
15vision screening.

16(3) Every effort must be made to ensure that, before
17they reach five years of age, children receive a screening

1exam from their health care provider.

2(4) Early recognition of vision disorders and eye
3disease results in more effective treatment that can be sight
4saving or even lifesaving.

5(5) The most common disabling childhood vision disorders
6include amblyopia, strabismus and significant refractive
7errors.

8(6) Retinoblastoma, which can be detected in a routine
9eye examination, is the most common type of eye tumor in
10children and is the seventh most common pediatric cancer.

11(7) Children born with retinoblastoma are rarely
12diagnosed at birth, with the average age of diagnosis at two
13years of age.

14(8) Ninety-five percent of all cases of retinoblastoma
15occur in children under five years of age.

16(9) Untreated, retinoblastoma is almost always fatal,
17however, early diagnosis and treatment saves lives and
18preserves visual function.

19Section 3. Definitions.

20The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
21have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
22context clearly indicates otherwise:

23"Amblyopia." The loss of one eye's ability to see details.

24"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.

25"Retinoblastoma." A cancer of one or both eyes which occurs
26in young children.

27"Strabismus." A disorder in which the two eyes do not line
28up in the same direction and therefore do not look at the same
29object at the same time.

30Section 4. Early Childhood Vision Care Education Program.

1(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish the Early
2Childhood Vision Care Education Program to promote public
3awareness of the need for vision care for young children and the
4value of early detection, diagnosis and treatment of vision
5disorders and eye diseases.

6(b) Duties of department.--The department shall:

7(1) Establish a public education and outreach campaign
8via written materials and brochures to promote the importance
9of vision examination for young children and awareness of
10vision disorders and eye diseases, including amblyopia,
11strabismus and retinoblastoma.

12(2) Develop educational materials and brochures and make
13them available to parents through State and local departments
14of health, hospitals, clinics, health care providers,
15preschool programs, child-care providers and early childhood
16programs.

17(3) Develop relationships with health care providers and
18health-related community-based organizations to promote and
19coordinate public education programs on early childhood
20vision care.

21Section 5. Grant acceptance.

22The department may accept grants, services and property from
23the Federal Government, foundations, organizations and other
24entities as may be available to carry out the provisions of this
25act.

26Section 6. Effective date.

27This act shall take effect in 60 days.