WSR 17-11-022

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed May 10, 2017, 11:20 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-824-040 Application for examination, 246-824-060 Dispensing optician examination, 246-824-065 Duties and responsibilities of the dispensing optician examining committee, 246-824-070 Informal review of examination results, and 246-824-071 Licensing by endorsement. The department is considering updating and/or repealing requirements related to the dispensing optician state examination and licensing requirements.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.34.080, 43.70.040, 43.70.250, 43.70.280.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: RCW 18.34.080 requires the dispensing optician examining committee to approve an examination prepared or administered by a private testing agency or association of licensing authorities. The current dispensing optician examination prepared and administered by the committee, as required by WAC 246-824-065, was developed in the 1950s. There have been limited updates to the exam, and failure rates are high. The dispensing optician examining committee is considering adopting the national examination administered by the American Board of Optician and National Contact Lens Examiners.

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. 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 via listserv and posting to the department of health web site. Contact Debra Mendoza, Program Manager, Department of Health, Dispensing Optician Program, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, email Debra.Mendoza@doh.wa.gov, phone (360) 236-4841 or fax (360) 236-2901.

May 10, 2017

John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH

Secretary