49-6-5004 - Promotion of eye, hearing and dental care awareness. - Tennessee Statutes

49-6-5004. Promotion of eye, hearing and dental care awareness.

(a)  Upon registration or as early as is otherwise possible and appropriate, public schools, nursery schools, kindergartens, preschools or child care facilities are encouraged to make reasonable efforts to apprise parents of the health benefits of obtaining appropriate eye, hearing and dental care for children.

(b)  A health care professional is authorized to indicate the need for an eye, hearing or dental examination on any report or form used in reporting the immunization status for a child as required under this part. Health care professionals shall provide a copy of the report or form to the parents or guardians indicating the need to seek appropriate examinations for the child.

(c)  If the parent or guardian of a child with a need for an eye or hearing examination is unable to afford the examination, an LEA of a county or municipality may use revenues from gifts, grants and state and local appropriations to provide the eye or hearing examinations.

(d)  LEAs are encouraged to seek free or reduced-cost eye examinations from optometrists or ophthalmologists and free or reduced-cost hearing examinations from physicians or audiologists willing to donate their services for children who are unable to afford the eye or hearing examinations.

(e)  The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, that are necessary to carry out this section.

[Acts 2001, ch. 212, § 1; 2004, ch. 707, § 1; 2007, ch. 557, § 1; 2008, ch. 632, §§ 1-4.]