119-s1716

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1716 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1716

To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve health 
 care coverage under vision plans, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 12, 2025

 Mr. Cramer (for himself, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Mullin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve health 
 care coverage under vision plans, 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 ``Vision Lab Choice Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING HEALTH CARE COVERAGE UNDER VISION PLANS.

    (a) In General.--Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act is 
amended by inserting after 

section 2719A (42 U.S.C. 300gg-19a) the 
following new section:

``

SEC. 2719B. IMPROVING COVERAGE UNDER VISION PLANS.

 ``

    (a) In General.--With respect to a group health plan or 
individual or group health insurance coverage that provides benefits 
for items and services relating to vision care (including such a plan 
or coverage that offers limited scope vision benefits), the following 
shall apply:
 ``

    (1) Duration of limited scope vision plans.--In the case 
 of a doctor of optometry who has an agreement or is the 
 beneficiary of an agreement with respect to a group health plan 
 or health insurance coverage that offers limited scope vision 
 benefits--
 ``
        (A) the term of the initial agreement shall be 
 not longer than 2 years;
 ``
        (B) the agreement may be extended with the prior 
 acceptance by such doctor for each such term extension, 
 and any such extension may be for a term not longer 
 than 2 years; and
 ``
            (C) the agreement may be extended for unlimited 
 terms, subject to subparagraph
        (B) .
 ``

    (2) No restrictions on choice of laboratories and sources 
 and suppliers.--A group health plan or health insurance issuer 
 offering such coverage may not, directly or indirectly, 
 restrict or limit a doctor of optometry described in paragraph

    (1) with respect to choice of laboratories, or choice of source 
 or supplier of services or materials provided by the doctor to 
 an individual who is enrolled under the plan or coverage.
 ``

    (b) Notification.--The Secretary shall on an annual basis notify 
each State of the State's authority to enforce the provisions of 
subsection

    (a) against a group health plan or a health insurance issuer 
offering health insurance coverage described in subsection

    (a) pursuant 
to 

section 2723

    (a)

    (1) and request confirmation from the State whether 
or not the State will enforce the provisions of subsection

    (a) . If a 
State notifies the Secretary that the State will not enforce the 
provisions of subsection

    (a) or fails to respond within 90 days of the 
Secretary's request, the Secretary shall treat such State as failing to 
substantially enforce such provisions for purposes of subsections

    (a)

    (2) and

    (b) of 

section 2723.
 ``
            (c) === Definition. ===
-In this section, the term `doctor of optometry' 
means a doctor of optometry who is legally authorized to practice 
optometry by the State in which the doctor so practices.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendment.--

Section 2722
            (c) (1) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-21
            (c) (1) ) is amended by inserting ``(other 
than the requirements under 

section 2719B)'' after ``

section 2791
            (c) (2) ''.
            (c) Exclusive Applicability of State Law.--Notwithstanding any 
amendment made by this Act, State law that directly affects any 
standard or requirement relating to health insurance issuers and vision 
benefit plans, shall have exclusive application and the amendments made 
by this Act shall not apply to the extent that such State law conflicts 
with such amendments. The State shall retain exclusive jurisdiction 
over health insurance issuers and limited scope vision benefit plans 
that are directly governed by such State.
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