Sponsors (23)
The bill strengthens childhood vision screening, outreach, and program quality—particularly for underserved children—at the cost of modest federal spending, added administrative requirements for states and localities, and uncertainty about long‑term funding after the five‑year authorization.
Children—particularly in rural and underserved communities—gain earlier detection and treatment of vision problems through funded statewide screening and referral programs.
Underserved populations (low-income, rural, and tribal children) receive expanded access to eye care through targeted funding strategies that aim to reduce health disparities in childhood vision.
State and tribal governments can build integrated data systems to track vision screening, diagnoses, referrals, and outcomes, improving coordination, monitoring, and program quality.
Children and low-income families face program continuity risk because funding is authorized for five years and benefits depend on future appropriations after FY2030.
Taxpayers fund an ongoing $5 million per year authorization (FY2026–2030) with no offsets, increasing federal expenditures.
State and local agencies, including schools, must devote staff time and resources to apply for grants, partner consultations, reporting, and evaluation, increasing administrative burden.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates an HRSA grant program to fund statewide early detection, data systems, outreach, and care coordination for children's vision and eye health, with reporting and coordination requirements.
Creates a federal grant and cooperative agreement program, run by HRSA, to help states, tribes, territories, urban Indian organizations, and state education/health agencies build and run statewide early detection and intervention systems for children’s vision and eye health. Awards must be used for several specified activities (at least three of six options) such as screening, data systems, outreach, care coordination, and referrals to wrap-around services. Requires applicants to apply in a Secretary-specified form and to consult and coordinate with federal and state partners (for example, maternal and child health programs, Medicaid EPSDT, CHIP, IDEA Parts B/C, Indian Health Service) and consumer groups; includes reporting, public disclosure, and technical assistance provisions. The bill authorizes grants but does not itself appropriate funds or set a funding level.
Introduced March 31, 2025 by Marc Veasey · Last progress March 31, 2025