132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1803		LR 1434(03)
	An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Optometric Practice
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Legislative Cost/Study
			FY 2025-26	FY 2026-27	Projections  FY 2027-28	Projections  FY 2028-29
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$77,918	$41,556	$41,556
Legislative Cost/Study
	The general operating expenses of this study are projected to be $3,050 in fiscal year 2026-27. The Legislature’s budget for the 2026-2027 biennium includes $7,253 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $17,696 in fiscal year 2026-27 for the costs of legislative studies, as well as $41,338 of balances carried over from prior fiscal years for this purpose. Whether these amounts are sufficient to fund all studies will depend on the number of studies authorized by the Legislative Council and the Legislature. The additional costs of providing staffing assistance to the study during the interim can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted staff resources.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations of $77,918 to the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Board of Optometry program, to support consulting services to establish credentialing requirements for surgery and to develop rules and rulemaking costs associated with changes to the practice of optometry, including licensing and regulatory oversight The Board does not have sufficient resources to support these costs and will need to increase licensing fees. The current statutory fee cap may need to be adjusted to generate sufficient revenue.