Laser Bill in New Hampshire Vetoed by Governor

Governor Ayotte argued that HB 349 would “increase the level of risk to patients by permitting eye surgeries by non-physician practitioners,” though no definitive data exists to support this claim. Click image to enlarge. Since Kansas passed its laser law a few weeks ago—becoming the 15th state to award optometrists these privileges—ODs in New Hampshire were holding out hope as their own legislation awaited a decision. In a frustrating development, Governor Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire announced her decision to veto House Bill 349 earlier today. The legislation, which received favorable votes from the state’s House and Senate earlier this year, would have expanded the scope of practice for optometrists in New Hampshire to include certain ophthalmic laser privileges. Gov. Ayotte defended her decision in a press release published today, where she voiced concern—without providing supporting evidence—regarding the level of surgical training that optometrists receive. “This is no criticism of our eye care professionals,” she wrote, “as optometrists are essential care providers for eye exams, lenses, and non-surgical care.” However, Gov. Ayotte continued, “The reality is that ophthalmologists, who complete a minimum three-year residency after medical school, receive far greater supervised clinical and surgical training than optometrists.” Many in the profession would contend that this decision does not fully reflect the training optometrists receive or the potential benefits to patient access. Despite this setback in New Hampshire, these types of conversations are far from over, as several other scope battles remain active across the country.  This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.