reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 491 - Creation

The professionals entitled to practice the profession of chemistry in Puerto Rico are hereby constituted into an artificial entity or quasi-public corporation under the name of “College of Chemists of Puerto Rico”, with domicile in the Capital, provided that the majority of the chemists so resolve in a referendum which shall be held for the purpose as hereinafter provided.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 1, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 492 - Powers

The College of Chemists of Puerto Rico shall have power:
(a) To subsist in perpetuity under that name, and to sue and be sued as an [juridical] person.
(b) To possess and use a seal, which it can alter at will.
(c) To acquire rights and property, both real and personal, by donation, legacy, taxes on its own members, purchase or otherwise; and to possess them, mortgage them, lease them and dispose thereof in any form.
(d) To appoint its directors and officers and officials who shall be elected to [the] number [of] seventeen (17), of which six (6) shall correspond to industrial regions, three (3) to university regions, two (2) shall be government chemists, one (1) shall be the representative of the private sector, and the remaining five (5) members shall be: one president, one president-elect, one secretary, one treasurer and the junior past president. The College shall determine the municipalities that correspond to industrial and university regions and may amend the aforementioned distribution of the regions through the action of the Regular General Assembly. Provided, That said distribution shall always represent the entire territory of Puerto Rico geographically.
(e) To adopt its bylaws which shall be binding on all its members, as the assembly provided for in § 13 of this act or in default thereof the Board of Governors hereinafter established may prescribe; and to amend same in the form, and under the requirements established therein.
(f) To receive and investigate the complaints that may be made in regard to the conduct of the members in the practice of their profession; and the complaints can be sent to the board of directors for action, and after a preliminary hearing in which an opportunity shall be given to the interested person, if well-founded cause is found, to institute the proper proceeding of removal.
(g) To protect its members in the exercise of their profession, and through the creation of gratuity funds, insurance systems and special funds, or in any other way to help those who retire for physical disability or advanced age and the heirs or the beneficiaries of those who die.
(h) To exercise such incidental powers as may be necessary or advisable for the purposes of its creation and which are not in conflict with this chapter.
(i) To adopt or [implement] the canons of professional ethics which shall govern the conduct of chemists.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 2; Sept. 6, 1996, No. 195, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 493 - Membership required for practice

After the first general meeting of the college is held, no person who is not a member thereof can practice the profession of chemistry in this Commonwealth.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 3, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 494 - Qualifications for membership

All chemists who have obtained the license as chemist issued by the Board of Examiners of Chemists of Puerto Rico and all those who have obtained a license as chemical engineer issued by the Board of Examiners of Engineers and fulfill the duties stated in §§ 471—471v of this title shall be members of the College of Chemists. In addition, those chemists who no longer practice as such and voluntarily wish to remain as members of the College may also be members. Provided, [That] this collegiation [sic] does not grant the right to practice the profession to those who have not complied with the requirements of §§ 471—471v of this title. Provided, also, that no chemist who has not been an active member of the College may benefit by this provision.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 4; May 12, 1942, No. 227, p. 1268, § 1; Sept. 6, 1996, No. 195, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 495 - Organization

The destiny of the College shall be governed in the first place by its general assembly and in second place, by its board of governors.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 5, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 496 - Officers and Board of Governors

The officers of the College, who in turn shall be the officers of the Board of Governors, shall consist of the President, President-elect (Vice President), Secretary, Treasurer, immediate past President and twelve (12) Delegates as representatives of the industrial, government, university and private sectors.
All members of the College shall have the option of exercising their right to vote to elect the officers of the Board of Governors at their convenience, in person or by mail, following the procedure provided by the College in its bylaws. The College may also provide its members, through its bylaws, the additional option of casting their vote through some other means determined to ensure the privacy, reliability, secrecy and validity of said voting process. The scrutiny of the votes cast by mail or by other means shall be conducted during the General Assembly called for those purposes.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 6; July 11, 1998, No. 116, § 1, eff. 180 days after July 11, 1998.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 497 - Bylaws

The bylaws shall provide for everything which has not been provided for in this chapter, including everything concerning the functions, duties and proceedings of all its bodies and officials; calls, dates, quorum, form and requirements of the general assemblies and meetings of the Board of Governors; election of directors and officials; standing committees; budgets or expenditure of funds and disposal of the property of the College; and the term of all the offices, the creation of vacancies and the method of filling them.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 7, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 498 - Dues

Each year the members of the College shall pay dues on the date or in the installments which the bylaws may [set], which [amount] shall be set by provision of the annual regular assembly of the College of Chemists of Puerto Rico.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 8; June 4, 1960, No. 27.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 499 - Suspension for failure to pay dues

Any member who does not pay his dues but who is in all other respects qualified to be a member of the College shall be suspended as such member, but can be reinstated upon the payment of what he owes for that reason.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 9, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 500 - Penalties

Every person who, without being duly authorized to practice the profession as provided by Act No. 31 of 1932 or who during the suspension of his license practices as a chemist, advertises himself as such, or tries to pass himself off as a practicing chemist shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, he shall be fined not less than one hundred [dollars] ($100) or more than three hundred dollars ($300) or shall be imprisoned for not less than two (2) nor more than six (6) months, or shall suffer both penalties.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 10, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 25 - College of Chemists (§§ 491 — 501) › § 501 - Duties of College

The College of Chemists of Puerto Rico shall have the following obligations:
(1) To cooperate in the improvement of the profession;
(2) to contribute to the advancement of chemistry in Puerto Rico and of the arts and industries connected therewith;
(3) to issue the reports and render the opinions asked from it by the Government;
(4) to defend the rights and immunities of chemists;
(5) to promote fraternal relations between its members, and
(6) to maintain strict professional ethics among its members.
History —May 9, 1941, No. 153, p. 926, § 11, eff. 90 days after May 9, 1941.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544a - Examining Board—Creation

A new Puerto Rico Optometrists Examining Board is hereby created, attached to the Health Professionals Regulating and Certifying Office, which shall consist of five (5) members of the College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico, appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico with the advice and consent of the Senate of Puerto Rico. The members of the Board shall be citizens of the United States of America, have resided in Puerto Rico for not less than one (1) year, and have practiced optometry for not less than five (5) years. At least one (1) of the five (5) members must be a licensed optometrist. They shall hold office for a term of three (3) years. No person may be a member of the Board for more than two (2) consecutive terms. The Governor of Puerto Rico may remove any member of the Board for dereliction of duty, or because his/or her license for the practice of the profession has been annulled, revoked or suspended, or for any other reason, after having been given the opportunity of being heard. The members of the Board shall be entitled to per diems equal to the minimum per diem received by the Members of the Legislature under §§ 29 et seq. of Title 2, be it per day or fraction thereof in which they render their services to the Board. The Board shall elect a chairperson each year from among its members, who will serve as such during that year.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 2.01.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544b - Examining Board—Member qualifications

(a) The five (5) members shall be optometrists or certified optometrists, duly licensed, certified, and in active practice of optometry or certified optometry in Puerto Rico, be residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and members of the Puerto Rico College of Optometrists.
(b) Not more than two (2) members of the Board may be:
(1) Members of the faculty of a college or school of optometry, of the Board of Governors of the Puerto Rico College of Optometrists, an agent, company representative, paid consultant, official or employee of any optician or company engaged in the wholesale or retail sale of eyeglasses, contact lenses or other merchandise or product related to the practice of optometry, ophthalmology or optics, or have shares or personal interests in those schools, colleges, optical offices or corporations in or outside of Puerto Rico.
(2) Be a company representative, paid consultant, officer of employee of a commercial association in the visual health care industry.
(c) Members may be removed from their functions on the Board if they:
(1) Fail to retain the qualifications required by §§ 544—544y and §§ 545 et seq. of this title, during their service on the Board.
(2) Miss more than half (1 / 2) of the meetings called during the year without an excuse.
(d) It is the duty of any of the members of the Board who have failed to meet the requirements of this section, to immediately inform the fact to the Governor of Puerto Rico and tender their resignation.
(e) The Board shall draft a public interest report describing its functions and procedures concerning those complaints filed and resolved, and, after a year from the date of approval of this act shall post said information on the Internet.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 2.02.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544c - Examining Board—Sessions

The Board shall hold a session within the first thirty (30) days after its members have been appointed and take office. It shall hold at least six (6) regular sessions a year to resolve its official business and conduct examinations. It may also hold those special sessions it deems convenient for the speedy transaction of its business. Three (3) members of the Board shall constitute quorum to hold any session and deal with matters of its competence.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 2.03.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544e - Examining Board—Cancellation of licenses

(a) The Board may temporarily or permanently revoke the license of any optometrist or certified optometrist in any case in which an optometrist or certified optometrist:
(1) Incurs fraud or deceit during the practice of the profession.
(2) Has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that implies moral turpitude, and it is shown that the crime for which he or she was convicted is substantially related to the qualifications, functions and duties of the profession.
(3) Is convicted of a felony.
(4) Manifests incompetence in prejudice of a third party in the exercise of his or her profession.
(5) Negotiates or offers for sale a license or certificate to practice optometry or certified optometry.
(6) Renders false testimony in behalf of a person who has applied for a revalidation examination or during any investigation of complaints presented before said Board for violations of the provisions of §§ 544—544y of this title and its regulations.
(7) Alters any document or material with malicious intent so that an aspirant may be admitted to the revalidation examination or may obtain a license to practice the profession without the necessary training or knowledge.
(8) Crassly violates §§ 544—544y of this title or those laws or regulations that apply to the profession.
(9) Has failed to comply with the registration and recertification requirements as provided in §§ 3001 et seq. of Title 24.
(b) The procedure for these annulments or cancellations shall be filed by the Board, or by the Puerto Rico College of Optometrists, according to the procedures established in the regulations authorized by them. The decisions of the Board may be reviewed pursuant to what is established in §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 2.05.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544f - Examining Board—Endorsement of license

The Board may grant a license by endorsement for the practice of optometry in Puerto Rico, provided the applicant meets the following requirements
(1) Holds a Doctors Degree in Optometry from a school accredited by the Council of Optometric Education (COE), of the American Optometric Association (AOA).
(2) Holds an active license in a state or territory of the United States of America or Canada.
(3) Has approved Parts 1 (Basic Sciences, II (Clinical Sciences), III (Patient Care), and the Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease (TMOD) of the examination of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO).
(4) Has not been suspended from the practice of optometry in any state or territory of the United States of America or Canada, or their federal agencies.
(5) Has approved the ethics, professional liability and jurisprudence examinations administered by the Board with a passing grade established thereby.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 2.06.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544g - Examining Board—Fees

(a) The Board is authorized to charge fees for the following services:
(1) Revalidation examination.
(2) License.
(3) Certificate for using diagnostic pharmacological agents.
(4) Reexamination.
(5) Duplicate of a misplaced or lost license.
(6) Recertification and registration.
(7) Endorsement of license, which shall never be greater than that of the license.
(b) The fees charged by the Board shall on no account be returnable. The sums thus collected shall be covered into the Health Fund for the use of the Office for the Regulation and Certification of Health Professionals, as provided in § 3009 of Title 24.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 2.07.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544h - Requirements for admission to profession—Additional license and certifications

(a) Upon approval of this act, every optometrist duly licensed in Puerto Rico may petition the Board for a certifying examination in order to obtain the corresponding permit to practice certified optometry.
(b) As of March 1, 1999, the Board shall be empowered to license aspirants for the practice of optometry and certified optometry.
(c) Every candidate to practice certified optometry in Puerto Rico, shall have to pass a written examination on the ethics, jurisprudence and professional liability of optometry and certified optometry in Puerto Rico with a score of, or greater than seventy-five percent (75%) of the maximum score.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 3.01.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544i - Requirements for admission to profession—License, certification or examination

Every candidate interested in obtaining a license for the practice of optometry or certified optometry shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Request, fill out and submit the license application form to the Board within the established time limit.
(2) Submit official evidence of having taken a minimum of ninety (90) credit hours at the university level in preoptometry studies.
(3) Submit the original and a copy of a Doctor of Optometry diploma obtained from a school, college or university offering that degree, recognized by the Board and accredited by the Council of Optometric Education (COE) of the American Optometric Association (AOA), which course shall consist of not less than four (4) years of optometric studies.
(4) Submit official evidence of having approved Parts: 1 (Basic Sciences), II (Clinical Sciences), III (Patient Care) of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) or its successors. Optometrists who graduated before 1999 may submit evidence of having approved the revalidation examination prepared and administered by the Board prior to that year.
(5) Submit an official certificate of good conduct in Puerto Rico.
(6) Submit a negative controlled substances detection certificate issued by a laboratory duly licensed by the Department of Health according to the guidelines and parameters established by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (N.I.D.A.)
(7) Submit any other document required by the Board through duly established regulations pursuant to §§ 544—544y of this title.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 3.02.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544j - Requirements for admission to profession—Certification for use of cycloplegic agents and topical anesthesia for refractive purposes

Those candidates for certification in the use of cycloplegic agents for determining the refractive condition of the human visual system who have obtained a license to practice optometry before January 1, 2003, shall have to request, complete and submit the application form for being certified in the use of the aforementioned pharmacological agents together with the following documents:
(1) An updated license to practice optometry in Puerto Rico.
(2) Evidence of having completed and approved a course in general pharmacology and in ocular pharmacology at a school or college of optometry accredited by the Council of Optometric Education (COE) of the American Optometric Association (AOA).
(3) Evidence of having satisfactorily completed a course in didactic education and supervised clinical training in the use of cycloplegic agents and topical anesthesia for refractive purposes in a program accredited by the Board. This course must have been approved within a term of five (5) years or less, prior to the date the certification is applied for.
(4) Evidence of having [passed] a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within the term of one (1) year prior to the date the certification is applied for.
(5) Negative controlled substances detection certificate issued by a laboratory duly licensed by the Department of Health according to the guidelines and parameters established by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (N.I.D.A.)
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 3.03; July 7, 2001, No. 55, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544k - Continuing education

All licensed optometrists and certified optometrists in Puerto Rico shall take continuing education courses concerning the use and application of scientific, technical and clinical advances in the care of the vision, eyes or their adnexa. No courses offered by entities that are not duly authorized by the Board as purveyors of continuing education, shall be accepted. Any course offered and taken shall be subject to approval by the Board.
All certified optometrists shall take a course within three (3) years of being certified, as part of their continuing education, on the subject of allergic reactions that may be caused by the use of cycloplegic agents.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 4.01.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544l - Registration and recertification of license

All optometrists or certified optometrists shall submit to the Board a completed application for the registration and recertification of their license every three (3) years, with evidence of having completed the minimum of twelve (12) credit hours in continuing education each year. Provided, That optometrists certified in the use of cycloplegic agents and topical anesthesia for refractive purposes, must complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours devoted to the administration of cycloplegic agents for refractive purposes, as part of the thirty-six (36) credit hours of the triennium required by law.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 4.02.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544m - Recertification after leaving military or federal service

All optometrists or certified optometrists whose license certification or recertification certificate has expired while in active service in any military facility of the United States, or the public health service of the United States, or is working full-time for any federal service, or is involved in training or education under the direct supervision of the government of the United States, shall obtain their recertification without any additional cost, provided they submit notarized sworn evidence that not more than one (1) year has passed since the termination of their military or federal service.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 4.03.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544n - Lost licenses

In the event of theft, loss, mutilation or destruction of a license or certification, an optometrist may petition the Board for a new one by submitting a statement or a copy of the complaint filed before the police of Puerto Rico, that confirms that he or she and no other person was the legal possessor of the stolen, lost, mutilated or destroyed license. The optometrist shall include together with this statement or copy of the complaint, the corresponding payment for a duplicate license and any other document that the Board may require pursuant to regulations.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 4.04.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544o - Display of licenses and certificates

All optometrists or certified optometrists shall be bound to display a copy of their Doctor of Optometry diploma, of their license, their certificate of college membership, as well as their certificate for the use of cycloplegic agents and topical anesthesia for refractive purposes, in a visible, public place within view of their clients, wherever they practice their profession.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.01.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544p - Updating of the license registry

Every optometrist or certified optometrist shall notify the Board of any change concerning the information consigned in the register of licenses, within a term of thirty (30) days, as of the date of said change.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.02.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544q - Use of pharmacological agents

Duly certified optometrists shall only use the following agents for refractive purposes:
(a) Cycloplegic agents
(b) Topical anesthetics
(c) Tints for adapting lenses
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.03.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544r - Dispatching prescriptions

No optometrist shall sign or cause a prescription to be signed for dispatching eyeglasses or any type of visual correction, without first having personally examined the eyes of the person for whom the prescription is issued. Every prescription issued pursuant to this section shall have a maximum effectiveness of one (1) year.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.04.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544s - Contact lenses

No optometrist or certified optometrist shall be bound to issue a prescription for contact lenses. Whoever wishes to, or who by a justified petition of a client issues a prescription for contact lenses, may do so provided that he or she has personally evaluated the vision, movement, adjustment and compatibility of the lenses and determined the best regime the patient shall follow for using and cleaning said lenses.
For an optometrist or certified optometrist to allow or cause a person who is not an ophthalmologist, optometrist or certified optometrist to use the prescription of an ophthalmologist, optometrist or certified optometrist to adjust and evaluate a contact lens shall be deemed as a dishonest practice. Every optometrist must personally evaluate the adjustment, behavior, qualities and characteristics of the contact lens after placing it in the patient’s eye in order to ensure satisfactory vision and compatibility and reduce the complications associated with the improper or inadequate use thereof. He or she must also recommend solutions for the maintenance of contact lenses, ensuring that they are compatible with the patient’s eye. Said information must be included in the patient’s record. This section shall not be interpreted as limiting the optometrist or certified optometrist to be assisted while placing the contact lens, but never while conducting its adjustment and evaluation.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.05.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544t - Advertisements

(a) Any advertisement of eyeglasses or contact lenses shall require the inclusion of language indicating that a doctor’s prescription is required for the purchase of said eyeglasses or contact lenses.
(b) Any advertisement of the price of the eyeglasses or contact lenses must contain a clear statement indicating that the cost of the examination is not included in said price.
(c) The Board may not adopt rules that restrict the competition between those persons under its regulations, unless they are needed to prevent false and deceitful practices.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.06.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544u - Prohibitions concerning control of practice of optometry

(a) It is totally prohibited for any person directly or indirectly engaged in selling, dispatching, manufacturing or representing optometric, optical and/or ophthalmic products:
(1) To attempt, directly or indirectly, to control the professional judgment, manner or form of practicing, or the practice of an optometrist or certified optometrist.
(2) To make a payment, directly or indirectly, to an optometrist or certified optometrist for services he/or she did not render.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.07.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544v - Professional competence

(a) To ensure that a patient is properly examined by an optometrist or certified optometrist, he or she shall perform any tests deemed necessary to guarantee the visual welfare of the patient.
(b) The initial evaluation for the use of contact lenses shall also include:
(1) Keratometry.
(2) Measurement of corneal diameter.
(3) Silt lamp bio-microscopy.
(c) All prescriptions for eyeglasses must include the name, surname(s), license or certificate number of the doctor in block letters, name and address of the patient, date, far and near dioptric correction for each eye, pupillary distance, additional information on the type of lens recommended, special tints or treatments, and the signature of the optometrist or certified optometrist.
(d) An optometrist or certified optometrist may not perform any technique, function or manner of treatment for which he or she cannot attest to his/her professional competence, which must be acquired through formal education, supervised training and experience in continuing education programs.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.08.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544w - Management of clinical files

It shall be the exclusive obligation of the optometrist or certified optometrist to properly maintain the clinical file of each patient for a period of not less than six (6) years. Thus, he or she shall be the custodian of the files and other documents of the patients related to the practice of optometry.
The patient shall ultimately decide who shall be the custodian of his/her file. However, the optometrist may keep a copy of the file, should he or she not be the custodian of the original elected by the patient. [Every natural or juridical person who has custody of said file shall keep watch so that the information product of the evaluation and exam, contained in said file, is not disclosed to third persons without the express written and contemporaneous consent of the patient.]
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 5.09.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27 - Board of Examiners of Optometrists (§§ 521-529 — 544y) › § 544y - Code of ethics

The Board, with the collaboration of the Colegio de Optómetras de Puerto Rico., Inc., shall be bound to prepare, draft, and publish a code of ethics for the practice of optometry within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date of effectiveness of this act. To do so, it shall follow the procedures established in §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”. Said code of ethics shall become effective once it is ratified by the secret vote of not less than two thirds (2 / 3) of the members of the College of Puerto Rico.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 246, § 7.02.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings stated below:
(a) College. — The College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico created by this chapter.
(b) Optometrist. — The person authorized to practice the profession of optometry in Puerto Rico, pursuant to the provisions of Act No. 80 of June 26, 1964.
(c) Board of Directors. — The Board of Directors of the College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico, created by this chapter.
(d) Board of Examiners. — The Board of Examiners of Optometrists, created by Section 2 of Act No. 80 of June 26, 1964.
(e) Bylaws. — The bylaws, rules and statutes of the College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico, adopted pursuant to this chapter.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545a - Constitution

Those persons with the right to practice the profession of optometry in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are hereby thus constituted as a juridical entity or quasi-public corporation under the name of “College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico”, domiciled in the capital city, as subsequently provided in this chapter, if it is so approved by a majority thereof in a referendum.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545b - Powers

The College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico shall be authorized:
(a) To exist perpetually under that name, sue and be sued as a juridical person and be the voice and the representative instrument, in all legitimate ways and regarding any matter about which it wishes to freely manifest itself, including appearances before the courts and agencies as amicus curiae, of the group which constitutes the profession of optometry in Puerto Rico.
(b) To acquire rights and assets, whether personal or real, through gift, legacy, contributions from among its own members, purchase, or otherwise, and purchase, possess, lease, mortgage, sell, transfer and dispose of them in any legal manner and form.
(c) To elect the members of its Board of Directors and appoint its officers and officials.
(d) To appoint the office personnel who will administer the operations of the College and contract the services of a legal advisor.
(e) To draft and adopt bylaws that shall be binding for all members, as adopted and implemented by the Assembly to be constituted for its approval, or in absence thereof, as drafted and implemented by the Board of Directors established hereinbelow; as well as to amend said bylaws in the manner and according to the requirements prescribed therein.
(f) The College is authorized to use a corporate seal in order to clearly establish the nature of the entity herein constituted.
(g) To provide security for its members through the creation or adoption of a mutual protection plan, pension funds, pension or retirement plans, and otherwise provide for those needy members, or those who have had to retire because of physical disability or old age, the widowed spouse and dependents of those who die; with evidence to the satisfaction of the College that said survivors have been left truly destitute.
(h) To protect the public interest and the members of the College by receiving or investigating on its own initiative, any complaints or matters regarding problems pertinent to the profession, improper conduct regarding the violation of professional ethics, disagreements arising between optometrists and patients, or between optometrists among themselves, or between optometrists and others in matters pertaining to the profession of optometry in Puerto Rico.
The College shall refer those complaints brought before it, with its recommendations, to the Board of Examiners, so that it may provide according to law.
(i) To submit a Code of Professional Ethics to be adopted by the Board of Examiners, which shall govern the conduct of optometrists.
(j) To exercise those incidental powers which may be necessary or convenient for the purposes of its creation and its subsequent maintenance and operation.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545c - Obligatory membership

After the first General Assembly to establish the College is held, no optometrist who is not a member thereof may practice the profession of optometry in Puerto Rico.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545d - Membership requirements

Those persons to whom the Board of Examiners of Optometrists of Puerto Rico has issued a license to practice the profession of optometry in Puerto Rico, pursuant to the provisions of Act No. 80 of June 26, 1964, and who comply with the duties prescribed in this chapter, shall be members of the College.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545e - Management

The future and decisions of the College shall be governed, in the first place, by the valid resolutions and agreements of its General Assembly; and in the second place, by the valid agreements and decisions of the Board of Directors regarding all matters not pertaining to the Assembly, and which fall within the general and incidental scope of those administrative powers and functions which generally correspond to the ministerial duties of the Board of Directors.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545f - Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the College shall consist of a president, a first vicepresident, a second vicepresident, a secretary, an assistant secretary, a treasurer, an assistant treasurer, as well as a representative of each of the senatorial districts in Puerto Rico. These officials shall hold office for a term of two (2) years. The immediately preceding president of the College shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors until replaced by the next outgoing president, but he/she shall only have the right to a voice, but not to vote. The president and both vicepresidents shall be elected by the members by mail, following the procedure provided by the College through regulations. The remaining members of the Board of Directors shall be elected at a General Assembly.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545g - Bylaws

The bylaws shall provide for all matters not provided in this chapter, including matters pertaining to the duties and procedures of all bodies and officials of the College; summons to convene, dates, quorum, form and requirements of regular and special assemblies, and of the sessions of the Board of Directors, the election of directors and officials, commissions and committees, the budget or investment of funds and disposition of the assets of the College; the creation of vacancies and ways to fill them. The bylaws shall also provide for the College to hold a regular assembly every year.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545h - Annual dues

The yearly dues of the College shall be fixed by majority vote during the Constituting Assembly provided in Section 24 of this Act. Said dues may be changed from time to time, if it is thus provided by a two-thirds (2 / 3) majority of the members of the College present at an assembly convened for such a purpose. The minimum quorum to change the dues shall be set in the bylaws, but shall not be less than one-fourth (1 / 4) of the total number of active members of the College.
Any College member who ceases to practice the profession of optometry in order to engage in other activities, to retire from the practice of the profession, or to leave Puerto Rico, may continue to be a member of the College under the provisions of this chapter, or may, otherwise, withdraw from membership in the College by means of a sworn statement to such effect presented to the Board of Directors. The member who avails him/herself of that option shall not be bound to pay dues during the period of voluntary inactivity, but neither shall he/she enjoy the benefits corresponding to the members of the College, nor practice the profession. The member of the College shall also notify the Board of Examiners with a copy of the statement of inactivity, so that his/her license shall also be inactivated during the same period, and he/she shall not return to the practice of his/her profession or become a member of the College again, until his/her license has been reactivated and the required dues have been paid. No statement of inactivity shall take effect until it has been duly presented to the Board of Examiners.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545i - Suspension from practice

The failure of any member to pay his/her annual dues by the final date set for said payment in the bylaws shall entail his/her suspension as a member of the College and the suspension of his/her license to practice optometry, which shall be decreed by the Board of Examiners at the request of the College. The procedure for such suspensions shall be established through regulations by the Board of Examiners and the final decision of the Board of Examiners may be judicially reviewed by the person adversely affected, pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of Act No. 80 of June 26, 1964. During the period of suspension, the person shall not practice the profession of optometry even though in other respects he/she is qualified as a member of the College, but the Board of Examiners may totally reinstate said person upon payment of all dues owed. Temporary or permanent suspensions that are final and binding, decreed by the Board of Examiners against an optometrist for the causes stated in Section 5 of Act No. 80 of June 26, 1964, shall also entail the automatic suspension of the optometrist as a member of the College for the full period that the suspension decreed by said Board of Examiners is in effect.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 27A - College of Optometrists of Puerto Rico (§§ 545 — 545p) › § 545j - Injunction against unlawful acts

The College may request the appropriate court to issue an injunction, a writ of prohibition or any other writ or order which may be pertinent, to cease and desist in the commission of acts or practices contrary to the purposes of this chapter, or which may be prejudicial or in violation of its provisions or of the determination to suspend the license for the practice of optometry, decreed by the Board of Examiners.
The College shall initiate the proper action in the corresponding court, without the need to post bond, against any person who, lacking a valid license to practice the profession of optometry issued by the Board of Examiners, practices optometry in this jurisdiction, as well as against any optometrist who attempts to pursue the practice, or in fact, continues to practice the profession of optometry in spite of having been suspended by the Board of Examiners from practicing the profession of optometry, pursuant to and for any of the causes imposed in the law.
Said order to cease and desist may also be applied for, and be extended and applied to any person, partner, partnership, employer, corporation, body, cooperative, instrumentality and entity, and to their agents and employees, that under any contract or agreement have been using or availing themselves of, or who intend to use or avail themselves of the services of the suspended optometrist, of the unlicensed optometrist, as well as of persons who are not optometrists and who do not hold a valid license to practice the profession, so that they may definitely abstain or cease and desist from such a practice.
The College may opt to use the services of its legal advisor or may contract the services of private attorneys when deemed necessary to do so in order to be represented in said type of action.
History —Dec. 17, 1993, No. 129, § 11.