Pupil health: vision examinations.

Existing law requires a pupil's vision to be appraised by a school nurse or other authorized person in the pupil's kindergarten year or upon first enrollment in elementary school, and in grades 2, 5, and 8, unless the appraisal is waived by the pupil's parents upon presentation of a certificate from a physician and surgeon, a physician assistant, or an optometrist. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to adopt guidelines to implement those provisions. This bill would require a pupil's vision to be appraised in accordance with the above specified provisions only if the pupil's parent or guardian fails to provide the results of a vision examination conducted by a physician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist in accordance with specified provisions. The bill would prohibit a school from denying admission to, or taking adverse action against, a pupil if his or her parent or guardian fails to provide the results of the vision examination. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations, rather than guidelines, to implement these provisions.