Vermont Becomes 17th Optometric Laser State

Vermont’s robust new law will allow ODs in the state to perform three laser procedures, manage eyelid lesions and offer CXL. Click image to enlarge. After several years of political wrangling, the Vermont Optometric Association (VOA) successfully navigated a scope expansion bill to legislative approval this week. It was signed into law yesterday by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.The new law allows qualified optometrists in Vermont to perform three laser procedures (SLT, LPI and capsulotomy) as well as corneal crosslinking, eyelid lesion removal and certain periocular injections.“We are very excited for this long-awaited achievement, but we could not have done it alone,” says VOA President Tina Keshava, OD. “Our VOA members reached out to legislators, wrote op-eds, attended legislative mixers and breakfasts, and more. We also had help from ODs across the country, testifying on our behalf and supporting us all along the way.”The state’s effort to modernize its scope began with setbacks, as bills introduced in 2019 and 2023 failed legislatively. But a renewed push that began in January 2025 came to fruition in the last few weeks. The proposed bill was passed in the state legislature in May after an adding of two amendments. The first postponed its date of implementation from January 2027 to July 2028. This was requested by the state’s Office of Professional Regulation “so that they could implement framework and rules around the endorsement,” according to Dean Barcelow, OD, Legislative/Third Party Chair of the VOA.The second amendment “added two more members to our State Board of Optometry—an OD and an MD. Both amendments were needed to secure votes,” Dr. Keshava says. “The second one came in a day before the final vote.”Dr. Keshava emphasizes that “the main winners of this legislation are our patients, who will gain improved access to care, closer to home. We are hopeful we’ll gain some new colleagues in Vermont, too!” In a commentary published in the Manchester Journal this January, Dr. Keshava argued that the proposed scope expansion would “help attract and retain highly trained optometrists who seek opportunities to practice at the top of their profession.”The Association’s efforts will now shift toward implementation. “The VOA is going to be working on helping our membership obtain the required education during our association meetings,” says Dr. Barcelow. “We have already spoken with a few of the schools to ensure we can provide and implement the requirements of the bill.”The VOA will schedule the 32-hour course in 16-hour increments at its 2027 spring and fall conferences. “We will work with these instructors and the AOA to come up with the best strategy for the rest of the requirements,” Dr. Keshava says.  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.