ARTICLE 2. Administration [3010.1. - 3030.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 2.
in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3010.1. Section 3010.1.

Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the California State Board of Optometry in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3010.5. Section 3010.5.

(a) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs a California State Board of Optometry in which the enforcement of this chapter is vested. The board consists of 11 members, 5 of whom shall be public members and one of the nonpublic members shall be an individual registered as a dispensing optician, spectacle lens dispenser, or contact lens dispenser. The registered dispensing member shall be registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) and in good standing with the board. Six members of the board shall constitute a quorum. (b) The board shall, with respect to conducting investigations, inquiries, and disciplinary actions and proceedings, have the authority previously vested in the board as created pursuant to former Section 3010. The board may enforce any disciplinary actions undertaken by that board. (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed. Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of this section renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3011. Section 3011.

(a) Members of the board, except the public members and the registered dispensing member, shall be appointed only from persons who are registered optometrists of the State of California and actually engaged in the practice of optometry at the time of appointment or who are members of the faculty of a school of optometry. The public members shall not be a licentiate of the board or of any other board under this division or of any board referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. No person except the registered dispensing member, including the public members, shall be eligible to membership on the board who is a stockholder in or owner of or a member of the board of trustees of any school of optometry or who shall be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any concern manufacturing or dealing in optical supplies at wholesale. No person shall serve as a member of the board for more than two consecutive terms. A member of the faculty of a school of optometry may be appointed to the board; however, no more than two faculty members of schools of optometry may be on the board at any one time. Faculty members of the board shall not serve as public members. (b) The amendments to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall apply to appointments made on or after January 1, 2016.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3013. Section 3013.

(a) Each member of the board shall hold office for a term of four years, and shall serve until the appointment and qualification of his or her successor or until one year shall have elapsed since the expiration of the term for which he or she was appointed, whichever first occurs. (b) Vacancies occurring shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term. (c) The Governor shall appoint three of the public members, five members qualified as provided in Section 3011, and the registered dispensing member as provided in Section 3010.5. The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a public member. (d) No board member serving between January 1, 2000, and June 1, 2002, inclusive, shall be eligible for reappointment. (e) For initial appointments made on or after January 1, 2003, one of the public members appointed by the Governor and two of the professional members shall serve terms of one year. One of the public members appointed by the Governor and two of the professional members shall serve terms of three years. The remaining public member appointed by the Governor and the remaining two professional members shall serve terms of four years. The public members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each serve for a term of four years. (f) The initial appointment of a registered dispensing optician, spectacle lens dispenser, or contact lens dispenser member shall replace the optometrist member whose term expired on June 1, 2015. (g) The amendments to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall apply to appointments made on or after January 1, 2016.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3014.6. Section 3014.6.

(a) The board may appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the board and vested in the executive officer by this chapter. (b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3017. Section 3017.

The board shall hold regular meetings every calendar quarter. Special meetings shall be held upon request of a majority of the members of the board or upon the call of the president.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3020. Section 3020.

(a) There shall be established under the California State Board of Optometry a dispensing optician committee to advise and make recommendations to the board regarding the regulation of dispensing opticians, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers, registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550). The committee shall consist of three members, one of whom shall be a registered dispensing optician registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550), one of whom shall be a spectacle lens dispenser or contact lens dispenser registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550), one of whom shall be either a public member or an optometrist licensed pursuant to this chapter. The appointments to the committee shall be made by the board and at least one appointed committee member shall be a sitting board member who meets the qualifications described in this section. The board shall stagger the terms of the initial members appointed. The filling of vacancies on the committee shall be made by the board. (b) The committee shall be responsible for: (1) Recommending registration standards and criteria for the registration of dispensing opticians, nonresident contact lens sellers, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers. (2) Reviewing of the disciplinary guidelines relating to registered dispensing opticians, nonresident contact lens sellers, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers. (3) Recommending to the board changes or additions to regulations adopted pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550). (4) Carrying out and implementing all responsibilities and duties imposed upon it pursuant to this chapter or as delegated to it by the board. (c) The committee shall meet at least twice a year and as needed in order to conduct its business. (d) Recommendations by the committee regarding scope of practice or regulatory changes or additions shall be approved, modified, or rejected by the board within 90 days of submission of the recommendation to the board. If the board rejects or significantly modifies the intent or scope of the recommendation, the committee may request that the board provide its reasons in writing for rejecting or significantly modifying the recommendation, which shall be provided by the board within 30 days of the request. (e) Committee members shall serve a term of four years except for the initial staggered terms. A member may be reappointed, but no person shall serve as a member of the committee for more than two consecutive terms.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3021. Section 3021.

The board shall have rulemaking authority with respect to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) in accordance with Section 3025. Regulations adopted pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) by the Medical Board of California prior to the effective date of this section shall continue to be valid, except that any reference to the board or division contained therein shall be construed to mean the California State Board of Optometry, unless the context determines otherwise.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3023. Section 3023.

For the purposes of this chapter, the board shall accredit schools, colleges, and universities in or out of this state providing optometric education, that it finds giving a sufficient program of study for the preparation of optometrists.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3023.1. Section 3023.1.

(a) The nonresident contact lens seller program established under Chapter 5.45 (commencing with Section 2546) and the registered dispensing optician, spectacle lens dispensing, and contact lens dispensing programs established under Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) are hereby transferred from the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California and placed under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Optometry. (b) All the duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdictions of the Medical Board of California under Chapter 5.45 (commencing with Section 2546) and Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) shall be transferred to the State Board of Optometry. (c) For the performance of the duties and the exercise of the powers vested in the board under Chapter 5.45 (commencing with Section 2546) and Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550), the State Board of Optometry shall have possession and control of all records, papers, offices, equipment, supplies, or other property, real or personal, held for the benefit or use by the Medical Board of California.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3024. Section 3024.

The board may grant or refuse to grant an optometrist license as provided in this chapter and may revoke or suspend the license of any optometrist for any of the causes specified in this chapter. It shall have the power to administer oaths and to take testimony in the exercise of these functions.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3024.5. Section 3024.5.

(a) Information sent from an email account of the board to a valid email address provided by an applicant, registrant, or licensee is presumed to have been delivered to the provided email address. (b) In the interest of protecting the privacy of applicants, registrants, and licensees, an email address provided by an applicant, registrant, or licensee to the board pursuant to paragraph (14) of subdivision (a) of Section 3057 or subdivision (d) of Section 2552 shall not be considered a public record and shall not be disclosed pursuant to Section 27 or pursuant to a request under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), unless required pursuant to a court order by a court of competent jurisdiction. (c) For purposes of this chapter, “valid email address” means an email address at which the applicant, registrant, or licensee is currently receiving emails at the time of application for licensure, registration, or renewal.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3025. Section 3025.

The board may make and promulgate rules and regulations governing procedure of the board, the admission of applicants for examination for a license as an optometrist, and the practice of optometry. All of those rules and regulations shall be in accordance with and not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. The rules and regulations shall be adopted, amended, or repealed in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3025.1. Section 3025.1.

The board may adopt rules and regulations that are, in its judgment, reasonable and necessary to ensure that optometrists have the knowledge to adequately protect the public health and safety by establishing educational requirements for admission to the examinations for licensure.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3025.2. Section 3025.2.

The board may adopt rules and regulations that are, in its judgment, reasonable and necessary to ensure that optometrists have the knowledge to adequately protect the public health and safety by governing its accreditation of schools, colleges, and universities that provide optometric education. In promulgating these rules and regulations, or in extending accreditation, the board may, to the extent that it deems consistent with the purposes of this chapter, recognize, accept, or adopt the advice, recommendation, accreditation, or approval of a nationally recognized accrediting agency or organization.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3025.5. Section 3025.5.

The board may adopt regulations prescribing minimum standards governing the optometric services offered or performed, the equipment, or the sanitary conditions, in all offices for the practice of optometry, which are necessary to protect the health and safety of persons availing themselves of the services offered or performed in such offices.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3025.7. Section 3025.7.

Except as provided in Sections 3102 and 3103, nothing contained in Section 651.3 shall be construed as authorizing the board to adopt, amend, or repeal rules and regulations relating to price fixing or advertising of commodities.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3027. Section 3027.

The board shall employ an executive officer and other necessary assistance in the carrying out of the provisions of this chapter. The executive officer shall perform the duties delegated by the board and shall be responsible to it for the accomplishment of those duties. The executive officer shall not be a member of the board. With the approval of the Director of Finance, the board shall fix the salary of the executive officer. The executive officer shall be entitled to traveling and other necessary expenses in the performance of the executive officer’s duties.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 3030. Section 3030.

(a) The board, or its designated agent, may at any time inspect either of the following: (1) Any premise in which optometric services, as defined in Section 3041, are provided or reasonably suspected of being provided. (2) Any premise in which the services of dispensing, adjusting, or fitting of contact lenses or spectacle lenses are provided or reasonably suspected of being provided. (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant the board jurisdiction over the practice of medicine.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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