ASSEMBLY, No. 1094

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman CORODEMUS

An Act concerning the use of certain health care facilities by licensed optometrists and amending P.L.1983, c.28.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 1 of P.L.1983, c.28 (C.26:2H-12.1) is amended to read as follows:

    1. a. Any health care facility licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.), which provides medical or surgical care, shall provide for the use of the facility by, and appropriate privileges for, duly licensed podiatrists and optometrists. Use of the facility and privileges of a podiatrist or optometrist shall be subject to nondiscriminatory rules and regulations governing such use or privileges established by the governing body of the facility for persons licensed as physicians and surgeons pursuant to R.S.45:9-6 and dentists pursuant to R.S.45:6-19.

    b. Nothing in this act shall be construed to require a hospital to grant admitting privileges to an optometrist or to permit the exercise of those privileges granted by the hospital without appropriate collaboration with the attending physician of the patient who is receiving or will receive care or treatment from the optometrist.

(cf: P.L.1983, c.28, s.1)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill amends P.L.1983, c.28 (C.26:2H-12.1) to provide that a licensed health care facility, which provides medical or surgical care, shall provide for the use of the facility by, and appropriate privileges for, a duly licensed optometrist, according to the same rules and regulations governing use and privileges as those established by the governing body of the facility for licensed physicians and dentists.

    The bill further provides that nothing in the bill shall be construed to require a hospital to grant admitting privileges to an optometrist or to permit the exercise of those privileges granted by the hospital without appropriate collaboration with the attending physician of the patient who is receiving or will receive care or treatment from the optometrist.

Provides for use of certain health care facilities and appropriate privileges for licensed optometrists.