THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GERGELY, STEVENSON, BEAR, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CASORIO, CIVERA, COHEN, P. COSTA, CUTLER, DERMODY, DONATUCCI, ELLIS, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FARRY, FRANKEL, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, HARKINS, HELM, HORNAMAN, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, MANN, MARSICO, MICOZZIE, MUSTIO, PASHINSKI, PAYTON, PRESTON, SABATINA, K. SMITH, M. SMITH, SONNEY, TRUE, TURZAI, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WANSACZ, YOUNGBLOOD, D. COSTA, MURT AND GINGRICH, APRIL 3, 2009

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JULY 7, 2009   

AN ACT

Amending the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112),

entitled "An act relating to the right to practice medicine

and surgery and the right to practice medically related acts;

reestablishing the State Board of Medical Education and

Licensure as the State Board of Medicine and providing for

its composition, powers and duties; providing for the

issuance of licenses and certificates and the suspension and

revocation of licenses and certificates; providing penalties;

and making repeals," further providing for definitions.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 2 of the act of December 20, 1985

(P.L.457, No.112), known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985, is

amended by adding a definition to read:

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

* * *

"Ophthalmic surgery."  A treatment or procedure, diagnostic,

palliative, therapeutic, rehabilitative, cosmetic or refractive

for conditions or disease processes involving the eye and/or

ocular adnexa, utilizing lasers, cautery, ionizing or non-

ionizing radiation, scalpels, probes, needles or other

instruments in which the human eye and/or ocular adnexa is cut,

drained, penetrated, thermally altered, vaporized, frozen,

burned, sutured, probed, manipulated, injected or otherwise

altered by any mechanical, thermal, light-based,

electromagnetic, radiofrequency, ultrasonic, chemical or

pharmacologic means. The term does not include services within

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the practice of optometry as defined in section 2 of the act of

June 6, 1980 (P.L.197, No.57), known as the Optometric Practice

and Licensure Act, as of the effective date of this definition.

* * *

Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.