August 4, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Thiesfeldt, Steffen, Baldeh,
Brandtjen, Brostoff, Gundrum, Knodl, Plumer, Rozar, Skowronski, Spiros
and Tusler, cosponsored by Senators Feyen, Carpenter and Nass. Referred
to Committee on Health.
AB490,1,2 1An Act to create 253.112 of the statutes; relating to: registry for children with
2blindness or visual impairment.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Health Services to establish a registry of
children who are under the age of three and who are diagnosed with blindness or
visual impairment. The purpose of the registry is to connect parents or guardians
of children with blindness or visual impairment with services provided by nonprofit
organizations and paid for by DHS. The bill defines visual impairment as a
permanent and irremediable or degenerative ocular or neurological condition that
significantly and adversely affects or will affect the child's visual functioning,
developmental progress, or educational performance. A physician, optometrist, or
ophthalmologist who diagnoses blindness or visual impairment in a child who is
under the age of three must notify a parent or guardian of the child of the existence
of the registry and that the registry provides connections to services provided by
nonprofit organizations, and paid for by DHS, to children who have blindness or
visual impairment and their families. Similarly, any health care provider or other
qualified professional that provides early intervention services for a child under the
age of three that the health care provider or qualified health professional suspects
is experiencing vision loss must notify a parent or guardian of the child of the
existence of the registry.
If a parent or guardian elects to include the child on the registry, the physician,
optometrist, ophthalmologist, health care provider, or other qualified professional
must submit certain information, including the contact information for the parent

or guardian, to DHS for inclusion in the registry. The bill directs DHS to refer any
child included on the registry for a functional vision evaluation conducted by a
teacher of the visually impaired who is licensed by the Department of Public
Instruction. Based on the results of the evaluation, the teacher of the visually
impaired shall determine whether the child requires direct or consultative vision
services from a teacher of the visually impaired as part of the Birth to 3 Program.
The Birth to 3 Program is a federally mandated program that supports children
under the age of three with developmental delays or disabilities. The bill also
provides that the teacher of the visually impaired who conducts the functional vision
evaluation shall refer the child for an orientation and mobility assessment conducted
by an orientation and mobility specialist who is licensed by DPI if the results of the
functional vision evaluation demonstrate that it is appropriate. Finally, the bill
provides that DHS shall contract with a nonprofit organization that meets certain
requirements to manage the registry and provide relevant information about
services available for children with blindness or visual impairment to parents and
guardians included on the registry upon request and free of charge.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB490,1 1Section 1. 253.112 of the statutes is created to read:
AB490,2,3 2253.112 Registry for children with blindness or visual impairment. (1)
3In this section, all of the following definitions apply:
AB490,2,54 (a) “Orientation and mobility specialist” means an individual licensed by the
5department of public instruction under s. PI 34.089, Wis. Adm. Code.
AB490,2,76 (b) “Teacher of the visually impaired” means an individual licensed by the
7department of public instruction under s. PI 34.051, Wis. Adm. Code.
AB490,2,118 (c) “Visual impairment” means a permanent and irremediable or degenerative
9ocular or neurological condition that significantly and adversely affects or will affect
10the individual's visual function, developmental progress, or educational
11performance.
AB490,3,8
1(2) (a) A physician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist who diagnoses blindness
2or visual impairment in a child who is under the age of 3 shall notify a parent or
3guardian of the child of the existence of the registry under sub. (3) and that the
4registry provides connections to services provided by nonprofit organizations, and
5paid for by the department, for children who are blind or visually impaired and their
6families. The physician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist shall submit to the
7department under the procedure under sub. (3) the required information for any
8parent or guardian who elects to have a child included on the registry.
AB490,3,179 (b) Any health care provider or other qualified professional that provides early
10intervention services for a child under s. 51.44 who the health care provider or other
11qualified professional knows or suspects is experiencing vision loss shall notify a
12parent or guardian of the child of the existence of the registry under sub. (3) and that
13the registry provides connections to services provided by nonprofit organizations and
14paid for by the department for children who are blind or visually impaired and their
15families. The health care provider or other qualified professional shall submit to the
16department under the procedure under sub. (3) the required information for any
17parent or guardian who elects to have a child included on the registry.
AB490,4,3 18(3) The department shall establish a registry of children who are under the age
19of 3 and who are diagnosed with blindness or visual impairment for the purpose of
20connecting parents or guardians of children with blindness or visual impairment
21with services provided by nonprofit organizations and paid for by the department.
22The department shall provide a method for physicians, optometrists,
23ophthalmologists, health care providers, and other qualified professionals to submit
24to the department the information of any child on the registry. The department shall,
25consistent with federal law, share the information on the registry directly with the

1nonprofit organization that manages the registry under sub. (5). A submission under
2this subsection shall be made on a form prescribed and furnished by the department
3and shall include all of the following:
AB490,4,54 (a) A summary of health services that the child is receiving, including services
5related to the child's vision.
AB490,4,66 (b) A summary of the child's current development level.
AB490,4,77 (c) A summary of all concerns and diagnoses with respect to the child's vision.
AB490,4,88 (d) A summary of any relevant family information.
AB490,4,119 (e) The name and contact information of the physician, optometrist,
10ophthalmologist, health care provider, or other qualified professional completing the
11form.
AB490,4,1212 (f) The name and contact information of the parent or guardian of the child.
AB490,4,21 13(4) The department shall refer any child included on the registry for a
14functional vision evaluation conducted by a teacher of the visually impaired. The
15child shall also be referred for an orientation and mobility assessment conducted by
16an orientation and mobility specialist if the results of the functional vision
17evaluation demonstrate that it is appropriate. A teacher of the visually impaired
18who conducts a functional vision evaluation under this subsection shall determine,
19based on the results of the evaluation, whether the child requires direct or
20consultative vision services from a teacher of the visually impaired as part of the
21early intervention services under s. 51.44.
AB490,4,25 22(5) The department shall contract with a nonprofit organization to manage and
23maintain the registry under this section. The department may not enter into a
24contract under this subsection unless the department determines that all of the
25following requirements have been met:
AB490,5,2
1(a) The nonprofit organization employs and has on staff teachers of the visually
2impaired licensed by the department of public instruction.
AB490,5,43 (b) The nonprofit organization has an established network with direct service
4providers who provide services to children who are blind or visually impaired.
AB490,5,105 (c) The nonprofit organization will use the information available to them on the
6registry to provide relevant information about the services available through the
7network under par. (b) and how to obtain those services to any parent or guardian
8of a child included on the registry upon request and free of charge. The department
9shall pay for any costs associated with providing the information under this
10paragraph to any parent or guardian of a child included on the registry.
AB490,5,1111 (End)
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