In a press release, Prevent Blindness said it applauds the introduction of the “Early Detection of Vision Impairments in Children (EDVI) Act,” in the U.S. House of Representatives but urges the 118th Congress to move swiftly to pass the proposed legislation. 

The EDVI Act, which seeks to establish grants for states and communities to improve children’s vision and eye health through coordinated systems of care, is a bipartisan proposal co-sponsored by Congressional Vision Caucus co-chairs, U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and U.S. Representative Marc Veasey (TX-33). Companion legislation is expected to be introduced in the U.S. Senate.

Under the EDVI Act, the Health Resources and Services Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would award grants and cooperative agreements for states, communities and tribes to:

• Implement approaches (such as vision screenings) for the early detection of vision concerns in children, referrals for eye exams and follow-up mechanisms
• Identify barriers in access to eye care
• Reduce disparities in eye health, and/or
• Develop state-based data collection, surveillance and performance improvement systems.

Resources will also be made available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a national level technical assistance center to provide guidance to any state or community implementing children’s vision programs and to advance population health research priorities in children’s vision.

Prevent Blindness is asking the public to show support for the EDVI Act and its goal of promoting children’s vision and eye health by contacting their Members of Congress and asking them to co-sponsor the EDVI Act. Individuals can contact their Representative by visiting the Prevent Blindness Legislative Action Center.