April 25, 2017

The Honorable Ronald Collins, Senate Chair
The Honorable Andrew McLean, House Chair
Joint Standing Committee on Transportation
Room 127, State House
Augusta, Maine 04330

RE:    L.D. 1426, AN ACT TO ALLOW THE USE OF BIOPTIC OR TELESCOPIC CORRECTIVE LENSES TO MEET THE VISION EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS FOR A CLASS C DRIVER’S LICENSE

Dear Senator Collins, Representative McLean, and Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation:

I am writing on behalf of the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons to express our opposition to L.D. 1426.  I apologize that we cannot have a presence at the public hearing today, but we will try to have an ophthalmologist available for your work session. 

The Maine Medical Association is a professional organization representing more than 4000 physicians, residents, and medical students in Maine whose mission is to support Maine physicians, advance the quality of medicine in Maine, and promote the health of all Maine citizens.  The Maine Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons is a professional organization representing Maine’s ophthalmologists, or physicians specializing in the eye.

Maine has a lengthy history of considering the use of bioptic lenses in the operation of a motor vehicle.  Most recently, the 126^th Maine Legislature considered legislation (L.D. 564; Resolves 2013, Chapter 21) that resulted in a report entitled, Final Report of the Working Group on the Use of Bioptic or Telescopic Lenses for Testing and Driving.  I have attached this report, along with the testimony of Daniel K. Onion, M.D., M.P.H. and Robert J. Dreher, M.D. on L.D. 564.

Based upon the conclusions and recommendations in the working group report, we urge the Committee to vote “ought not to pass” on L.D. 1426.

Sincerely,

Andrew B. MacLean

cc:      Senator Amy Volk

Enclosures