[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3140 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3140

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2003

Mr. Burr (for himself, Mr. Towns, Mr. Tauzin, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Waxman, 
 Mr. Stark, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Mr. 
  Bishop of Utah, Mr. Sensenbrenner, and Mr. Gibbons) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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 prescription for the patient that is 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 the seller achieves direct 
        communication.
    (e) Invalid Prescription.--If a prescriber informs a seller before 
the deadline under subsection (d)(3) that the contact lens prescription 
is invalid, the seller shall not fill the prescription. The prescriber 
shall specify the basis for the invalidity of the prescription. If the 
prescription communicated by the seller to the prescriber is incorrect, 
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 successful 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 involved, 
        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 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 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 C.F.R. 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.
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