[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3140 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.3140

                       One Hundred Eighth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
           the seventh day of January, two thousand and three


                                 An Act


 
 To provide for availability of contact lens prescriptions to patients, 
                         and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTIONS TO PATIENTS.

    (a) In General.--When a prescriber completes a contact lens 
fitting, the prescriber--
        (1) whether or not requested by the patient, shall provide to 
    the patient a copy of the contact lens prescription; and
        (2) shall, as directed by any person designated to act on 
    behalf of the patient, provide or verify the contact lens 
    prescription by electronic or other means.
    (b) Limitations.--A prescriber may not--
        (1) require purchase of contact lenses from the prescriber or 
    from another person as a condition of providing a copy of a 
    prescription under subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) or verification of a 
    prescription under subsection (a)(2);
        (2) require payment in addition to, or as part of, the fee for 
    an eye examination, fitting, and evaluation as a condition of 
    providing a copy of a prescription under subsection (a)(1) or 
    (a)(2) or verification of a prescription under subsection (a)(2); 
    or
        (3) require the patient to sign a waiver or release as a 
    condition of verifying or releasing a prescription.

SEC. 3. IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF FEES IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES.

    A prescriber may require payment of fees for an eye examination, 
fitting, and evaluation before the release of a contact lens 
prescription, but only if the prescriber requires immediate payment in 
the case of an examination that reveals no requirement for ophthalmic 
goods. For purposes of the preceding sentence, presentation of proof of 
insurance coverage for that service shall be deemed to be a payment.

SEC. 4. PRESCRIBER VERIFICATION.

    (a) Prescription Requirement.--A seller may sell contact lenses 
only in accordance with a contact lens prescription for the patient 
that is--
        (1) presented to the seller by the patient or prescriber 
    directly or by facsimile; or
        (2) verified by direct communication.
    (b) Record Requirement.--A seller shall maintain a record of all 
direct communications referred to in subsection (a).
    (c) Information.--When seeking verification of a contact lens 
prescription, a seller shall provide the prescriber with the following 
information:
        (1) Patient's full name and address.
        (2) Contact lens power, manufacturer, base curve or appropriate 
    designation, and diameter when appropriate.
        (3) Quantity of lenses ordered.
        (4) Date of patient request.
        (5) Date and time of verification request.
        (6) Name of contact person at seller's company, including 
    facsimile and telephone number.
    (d) Verification Events.--A prescription is verified under this Act 
only if one of the following occurs:
        (1) The prescriber confirms the prescription is accurate by 
    direct communication with the seller.
        (2) The prescriber informs the seller that the prescription is 
    inaccurate and provides the accurate prescription.
        (3) The prescriber fails to communicate with the seller within 
    8 business hours, or a similar time as defined by the Federal Trade 
    Commission, after receiving from the seller the information 
    described in subsection (c).
    (e) Invalid Prescription.--If a prescriber informs a seller before 
the deadline under subsection (d)(3) that the contact lens prescription 
is inaccurate, expired, or otherwise invalid, the seller shall not fill 
the prescription. The prescriber shall specify the basis for the 
inaccuracy or invalidity of the prescription. If the prescription 
communicated by the seller to the prescriber is inaccurate, the 
prescriber shall correct it.
    (f) No Alteration.--A seller may not alter a contact lens 
prescription. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, if the same 
contact lens is manufactured by the same company and sold under 
multiple labels to individual providers, the seller may fill the 
prescription with a contact lens manufactured by that company under 
another label.
    (g) Direct Communication.--As used in this section, the term 
``direct communication'' includes communication by telephone, 
facsimile, or electronic mail.

SEC. 5. EXPIRATION OF CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTIONS.

    (a) In General.--A contact lens prescription shall expire--
        (1) on the date specified by the law of the State in which the 
    prescription was written, if that date is one year or more after 
    the issue date of the prescription;
        (2) not less than one year after the issue date of the 
    prescription if such State law specifies no date or a date that is 
    less than one year after the issue date of the prescription; or
        (3) notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), on the date 
    specified by the prescriber, if that date is based on the medical 
    judgment of the prescriber with respect to the ocular health of the 
    patient.
    (b) Special Rules for Prescriptions of Less Than 1 Year.--If a 
prescription expires in less than 1 year, the reasons for the judgment 
referred to in subsection (a)(3) shall be documented in the patient's 
medical record. In no circumstance shall the prescription expiration 
date be less than the period of time recommended by the prescriber for 
a reexamination of the patient that is medically necessary.
    (c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``issue date'' 
means the date on which the patient receives a copy of the 
prescription.

SEC. 6. CONTENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIONS.

    Any person that engages in the manufacture, processing, assembly, 
sale, offering for sale, or distribution of contact lenses may not 
represent, by advertisement, sales presentation, or otherwise, that 
contact lenses may be obtained without a prescription.

SEC. 7. PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN WAIVERS.

    A prescriber may not place on the prescription, or require the 
patient to sign, or deliver to the patient a form or notice waiving or 
disclaiming the liability or responsibility of the prescriber for the 
accuracy of the eye examination. The preceding sentence does not impose 
liability on a prescriber for the ophthalmic goods and services 
dispensed by another seller pursuant to the prescriber's correctly 
verified prescription.

SEC. 8. RULEMAKING BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.

    The Federal Trade Commission shall prescribe rules pursuant to 
section 18 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a) to carry 
out this Act. Rules so prescribed shall be exempt from the requirements 
of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty--Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act 
(15 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.). Any such regulations shall be issued in 
accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code. The first 
rules under this section shall take effect not later than 180 days 
after the effective date of this Act.

SEC. 9. VIOLATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Any violation of this Act or the rules required 
under section 8 shall be treated as a violation of a rule under section 
18 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a) regarding unfair 
or deceptive acts or practices.
    (b) Actions by the Commission.--The Federal Trade Commission shall 
enforce this Act in the same manner, by the same means, and with the 
same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all applicable terms 
and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et 
seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this Act.

SEC. 10. STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Federal Trade Commission shall undertake a study to 
examine the strength of competition in the sale of prescription contact 
lenses. The study shall include an examination of the following issues:
        (1) Incidence of exclusive relationships between prescribers or 
    sellers and contact lens manufacturers and the impact of such 
    relationships on competition.
        (2) Difference between online and offline sellers of contact 
    lenses, including price, access, and availability.
        (3) Incidence, if any, of contact lens prescriptions that 
    specify brand name or custom labeled contact lenses, the reasons 
    for the incidence, and the effect on consumers and competition.
        (4) The impact of the Federal Trade Commission eyeglasses rule 
    (16 CFR 456 et seq.) on competition, the nature of the enforcement 
    of the rule, and how such enforcement has impacted competition.
        (5) Any other issue that has an impact on competition in the 
    sale of prescription contact lenses.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the effective date of 
this Act, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall submit to 
the Congress a report of the study required by subsection (a).

SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
        (1) Contact lens fitting.--The term ``contact lens fitting'' 
    means the process that begins after the initial eye examination and 
    ends when a successful fit has been achieved or, in the case of a 
    renewal prescription, ends when the prescriber determines that no 
    change in prescription is required, and such term may include--
            (A) an examination to determine lens specifications;
            (B) except in the case of a renewal of a prescription, an 
        initial evaluation of the fit of the lens on the eye; and
            (C) medically necessary follow up examinations.
        (2) Prescriber.--The term ``prescriber'' means, with respect to 
    contact lens prescriptions, an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or 
    other person permitted under State law to issue prescriptions for 
    contact lenses in compliance with any applicable requirements 
    established by the Food and Drug Administration.
        (3) Contact lens prescription.--The term ``contact lens 
    prescription'' means a prescription, issued in accordance with 
    State and Federal law, that contains sufficient information for the 
    complete and accurate filling of a prescription, including the 
    following:
            (A) Name of the patient.
            (B) Date of examination.
            (C) Issue date and expiration date of prescription.
            (D) Name, postal address, telephone number, and facsimile 
        telephone number of prescriber.
            (E) Power, material or manufacturer or both.
            (F) Base curve or appropriate designation.
            (G) Diameter, when appropriate.
            (H) In the case of a private label contact lens, name of 
        manufacturer, trade name of private label brand, and, if 
        applicable, trade name of equivalent brand name.

SEC. 12. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.