Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-02-17
NUMBER 1872.
AN ACT DEFINING OPTOMETRY AND
REGULATING THE PRACTICE
THEREOF.

1t is hereby enacted By the General As
sensbIy Of the State of Vermont:
SECTION 1. The practice of optometry
is hereby defined to be the employment Of
any means, other than the use Of drugs,
for the measurement of the powers Of vision
and the adoption OF lenses for the aid
thereof.
SEC. 2. The state board of examiners
in Optometry shall consist of three persons,
engaged exclusively in the practice of
optometry, who shall possess sufficient
knowledge of theoretical and practical
optics to practice optometry, and who at
the time of their appointment shall have
been residents of this state actually en-
gagged in the practice of optometry for at
least five years.
SEC. g. On or before the first day of
January, 1909, the governor shall appoint
the members of said board, whose term Of
Office shall begin on the first day of JAN
uary, 1909, and expire in one, two, and
three years respectively from said date,
as designated by the governor; and the
governor shall annually thereafter ap-
point one member for three years to fill the
vacancy caused by the expiration of the
term of the outgoing member vacancy
in the board shall be filed by the governor.
Sec. 4. Said board shall at it's first
meeting after appointment elect a presi-
dent, secretary and treasurer, who shall
hold their respective offices for one year
from the date of their election, and until
their successors are chosen.
SEC. 5. Said board shall meet at least
annually and thirty days notice of the time
and place shall be given in at least two
optical journals circulating in this state
At least one meeting of the board shall be
held previous to the first day of July, 1909.
Sec. 6. A person desiring to. COM
mence or continue the practice of OPTIC
metry after the first day of July, 1909,
except as hereinafter provided, upon pre-
sentatlOn OF satisfactory evidence that he
is more than twenty-one years of age, of
good moral character, has preliminary
education equivalent to at least two years
in a high school, has graduated from a
recognized, standard school of OptOmetry
maintaining two years course of study
of at least six months in each year shall
take an examination before said board to
determine his qualifications therefor and
if he passes such examination shall receive
q certificate thereof; but a person who has
been continuously engaged in the practice
of optometry in this state for more than
two years next prior to the passage of this
act, shall receive from said board a GER
ton, which shall entitle him to practice
Optometry under this act. A person en-
titled to a certificate of exemption as herein
provided shall make application therefor
thereto on or before July 1, 1909 or he
shall be deemed to have waived his right
to such certificate.
Sec. Z. A person to whom a certificate
OF either registration or exemption is issued
shall forthwith cause the same to be re-
corded in the office of the secretary of state
and shall pay him twenty-five cents for
recording the same.
SEC. s. A person practicing optometry
shall display his certificate of registration
or exemption in conspicuous place in the
principal Office wherein he practices.
Whenever practicing outside of, or away
from, said Office, he shall deliver to each
person whom he fits with glasses a bill OF
purchase, which shall contain his signature,
home postoffice address and the number
of his certificate of registration Or exemp-
ton, together with a specification of the
lenses furnished and the price charged
therefor.
SEC. g. The fee for examination shall
be fifteen dollars, for certificate of regis
tration, ten dollars, and for certificate o.
exemption five dollars, to be paid to the
treasurer of the board. The treasurer
shall make a quarterly report to the state
treasurer of examinations given and Ger
tificates granted, and pay into the stat
treasury the money received by him there
for.
Sec 10. Said board shall revoke a Ger
tificate of registration or exemption if tn
holder thereof is guilty of fraud or decei
in his practice, has been convicted of crime
is an habitual drunkard, or is incompetent
to practice optOmetry; provided that n
certificate shall be revoked until the holde
is given hearing before said board