WSR 14-06-103

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed March 5, 2014, 9:02 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-824-075 Continuing education requirements for dispensing opticians, the department will consider amending this rule to require completion of ten hours of continuing education each year of the three year reporting cycle with five of the ten hours relating to contact lens education.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.34.120.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The department received a petition for rule making from the Opticians Association of Washington requesting that opticians complete ten hours of continuing education each year of the three year reporting cycle, with five of the ten hours related to contact lens education. Currently, licensed opticians must report thirty hours of continuing education every three years with fifteen of the hours on contact lenses. The association's proposal would not increase the number of hours that a licensed dispensing optician would be required to report in a three year period. The association's intent is to better keep licensed dispensing opticians abreast of current and forecasted developments in a rapidly changing field.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Judy Haenke, Program Manager, Department of Health, Dispensing Optician Program, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, Judy.haenke@doh.wa.gov, phone (360) 236-4947, fax (360) 236-2901. Stakeholders will be notified and invited to participate in an open public rules workshop and may submit written comments for consideration. Stakeholders will be notified through listserv and posting to the web site.

March 5, 2014

Jessica Todorovich

Deputy Secretary

for John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH

Secretary