OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, today passed a measure in the House that would create a two-year pilot program to expand vision screening for early childcare students.

The program created by House Bill 3016 would provide additional convergence screening for students in Kindergarten through third grade in the first 30 days of the school year. The measure also would create a binocular screening revolving fund.

"As we focus and emphasize our need for improved literacy across our state," Dobrinski said, "we know that many factors affect a child's ability to learn, and vision is a critical one."

Dobrinski said this bill is rooted in personal experience from his own family going back about 25 years. Dobrinski explained that one of his sons was identified by his first-grade teachers as struggling. The teacher encouraged further vision testing.

"Having that additional test identified a diagnosis of convergence insufficiency," Dobrinski said. "Once he received treatment, the improvement in his learning was immediate and significant. Witnessing this firsthand, showed me how standard vision screening in our public schools does not always detect issues that can lead to learning challenges. It's my hope this legislation will help more children like my son."

The pilot program created by the measure would be administered by the State Department of Education and the State Department of Health. Screenings would be performed by trained professionals.

The measure passed the House and now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, a former public school teacher.