Ruiz, Lopez Express Concerns with Governor’s CV of Comprehensive Eye Exam Bill

Trenton – Senate President Pro Tempore M. Teresa Ruiz and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s conditional veto of their bill to require children entering public schools or Head Start programs to receive a comprehensive eye exam:

“While we appreciate the Governor’s effort to expand vision screenings, the changes he proposed do not align with the intent of the bill and are not in the best interest of our state’s students. Vision screenings cannot replace comprehensive eye exams. School screenings tend to focus on distance visual acuity – but they do not measure how well the eyes focus up-close, work together or move efficiently – skills necessary for academic achievement.  These screenings provide less than 4 percent of the eye tests needed to help children see and they miss up to 75 percent of children with vision problems. Impaired eyesight which goes unnoticed can hinder academic performance and lead students to be misdiagnosed with reading difficulties or learning disabilities. If our youngest learners are going to reach their full potential it is imperative they receive a comprehensive eye exam prior to starting school, not simply a vision screening.”