BREAKING NEWS: NM Governor vetoes bill allowing non-surgeons to perform eye surgery.

“I am vetoing this bill because it sets a dangerous precedent for allowing non-surgeons to perform surgical procedures.”

– Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Read the official veto message (PDF)
Vermont Has Strong Standards

Vermont laws currently ensure that no Vermonter has to worry about the quality of the medical eye care they are receiving.

Our laws feature strong patient protections related to eye surgery and medical management.  The requirements to operate on eyes demand:

  • Medical school degree
  • Rigorous training at a 4 year nationally accredited and standardized  medical residency; 
  • Eight years of medical training, including real life cumulative experience
Top view of a serious adult woman's face while waiting for an eye surgery procedure to begin.
Eye surgeon holding small surgical scissors for eye operation in the operating room near the microscope. Image with small deph of field focused on hands and scissors
Safety At Risk
As part of a national drive to expand their business, the Vermont optometry lobby is pushing to lower safety standards. Despite inadequate medical training, they are urging Vermont lawmakers to authorize optometrists to conduct scalpel and laser surgical care in and around the eye. A bill proposed in the State Capital, S.64, asks lawmakers to endorse an unprecedented expansion of optometry practice into scalpel and laser eye surgery. Optometrists are not trained at the level required to ensure safety and mitigate risk during these procedures.

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Contact Your Legislator and Say No To Bill S.64 and Untrained Eye Surgery

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