AZ HB2065

Expands Chapter 36-899 to establish vision screening evaluation services for schoolchildren alongside existing hearing evaluation services, changing the chapter title to "Child Hearing and Vision Programs."

Vision screening evaluations shall be administered to all children as early as practicable but not later than first year of school enrollment, with annual visual acuity and stereopsis screening through fourth grade and one-time color deficiency evaluation.

Department shall contract with one or more nonprofit vision screening organizations by December 31, 2016 to provide services at no cost to the state or school districts, with full implementation statewide required within five years.

School districts already providing vision screening services may continue doing so but must submit annual data to the department; all collected vision screening data belongs to the department and cannot be accessed without departmental permission.

Vision screening program sunsets on July 1, 2026 pursuant to Arizona's automatic legislative review process, and parents have the right to refuse testing by submitting an objection statement to the administering organization.