Colorado lawmakers take up bills regarding school physicals and vision screenings

Two bills making their way through the Colorado General Assembly would require screening kids for vision loss at an earlier age and make school physicals more accessible.

The State House is expected to debate HB26-1193 this week. It would require vision screenings for all pre-school students. The screenings are currently required for kids in kindergarten through third grade and fifth, seventh, and ninth grades.

Schools would be required to post results of the screenings in kids' school records and notify their parents if there's a deficiency. Parents could opt out of the screenings for religious or personal reasons.

The State House Education Committee will take up a separate bill tomorrow regarding school physicals, HB26-1231, which would allow physical therapists to perform school physicals.