Governor Brown Signs AB 761

September 2012

Governor Brown signed AB 761 on Friday, September 28, which allows optometrists to perform clinical lab tests needed for their practice. Congrats to our ODs!

AB 761 will expand the category of persons who may perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations that are classified to include certain optometrists. This commonsense bill will make our jobs easier. Thank you Governor Brown!

AB 761 expands the category of persons who may perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations that are classified as waived to include licensed optometrists if the results of the tests can be lawfully utilized within their practice, and would provide that a laboratory director may include a licensed optometrist serving as the director of a laboratory which only performs specified clinical laboratory testing, for purposes of waived examinations. The bill authorizes a licensed optometrist certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents to additionally perform specified clinical laboratory tests or examinations classified as waived that are necessary for the diagnosis of conditions and diseases of the eye or adnexa, which the bill defines to mean ocular adnexa.