Prevent Blindness urges Congress to pass bipartisan legislation, the "Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act," designed to improve eye care access and health outcomes for children across the United States.
CHICAGO, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Prevent Blindness, the nation's leading patient advocacy organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight, applauds the reintroduction of the "Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act (EDVI)," in the U.S. House of Representatives, (H.R. 2527). Currently, there are no federally funded programs in the United States that specifically address children's vision or foster a cohesive and equitable system of eye health for children. Once passed, this bipartisan legislation will establish grants for states and communities to improve systems of care that will ensure that every child in the United States has the chance for early identification and vision care coordination of potential vision problems.
The EDVI Act was first introduced in the House of Representatives in May 2024. Reintroduced on March 31, 2025, the legislation is once again co-sponsored by Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC) co-chairs, U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), and U.S. Representative Marc Veasey (TX-33). Companion legislation is expected to be introduced soon in the U.S. Senate.
"As an American who has suffered from poor vision since childhood, I have a first-hand understanding of how critical early detection and treatment is when it comes to ensuring that all children have the best possible start in life," said Rep. Bilirakis. "The EDVI Act, reintroduced this year, will ensure all children get the screening and care they need at the right age by creating the first-ever federally funded program to address children's vision and eye health. This legislation will empower states and communities, like mine, to improve systems of care for our youngest citizens and their families."
"When I was in elementary school, I struggled to see the board, and it made learning incredibly difficult. It wasn't until I had a vision screening and got the right pair of glasses that everything changed for me," said Rep. Veasey. "I know from personal experience that vision issues can hold a child back, and how something as simple as a pair of glasses can unlock their potential. No child should fall behind simply because they can't see. With the reintroduction of The Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act, we can all work together to ensure all children, in Texas and across the country, have access to the screenings they need to see clearly and reach their full potential."
Vision disorders in childhood, such as amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), myopia (nearsightedness), or hyperopia (farsightedness), can be successfully treated if detected early and children receive access to quality eye care. Unfortunately, significant gaps exist in children's vision systems, eye health outcomes, and access to eye care across the United States. State-level regulations to address children's vision vary widely in approaches and often lack protocols for referrals to eye care providers or documentation to ensure eye care was received. States may also lack the necessary resources to adequately capture data on rates of received eye care, leading to challenges in addressing existing gaps in care among demographic sub-populations or in rural or under-resourced communities.
Under the EDVI Act, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will award grants and cooperative agreements for states and communities to implement approaches for improved public education about children's vision, early detection of vision concerns in children (such as evidence-based vision screenings), referrals for eye exams, and follow-up mechanisms, establish a coordinated public health system for vision health and eye care diagnosis and treatment, develop state-based data collection and performance improvement systems, and promote wrap-around services for children who experience vision loss. In addition, resources will also be made available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide technical assistance and guidance to states and communities to implement children's vision systems of care and to conduct critically needed research.
Prevent Blindness recently created the Children's Vision Health Map and corresponding report, specifically designed to provide information for legislators and advocates to help advance the EDVI Act. These resources display geographic variations in common children's vision problems, state-level regulations, social determinants of health, as well as prevalence of visual impairment and blindness.
And, Prevent Blindness also offers free downloadable state-specific fact sheets that provide a brief overview of early intervention efforts in each state. These include pre-school and school vision screening requirements, percent of children receiving an eye examination by age and race, and more. These fact sheets were created from data from the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health.
"Far too many children in the United States face unnecessary barriers to essential vision care," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "The EDVI Act brings us closer to a future where every child has access to the vision screenings, eye exams, and treatment they need to see clearly and thrive. We are proud to support this critical legislation that prioritizes children's eye health and educational success."
Since EDVI's introduction, more than 100 leading organizations have signed on to support the legislation, including American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Optometry, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, American Optometric Association, American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Children's Vision Equity Alliance, Family Voices, First Focus Campaign for Children, Healthy Schools Campaign, National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, National Association of School Nurses, National Optometric Association, School-Based Health Alliance, The Vision Council, the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition, and the World Council of Optometry. The full list of organizations may be found directly at PreventBlindness.org/edvi-act.
Prevent Blindness is urging 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.
On June 4, 2025, Prevent Blindness and the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) will host a free webinar, "Use Your Voice: Advocacy Strategies for Children's Vision" from 2 – 3:15 pm ET. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the advocacy process and the value and impact that individual and community voices have, and how to effectively advocate for public policies that govern healthcare, eyecare, and school systems to ensure they are responsive to children's vision health needs.
For information on the EDVI Act and Prevent Blindness advocacy efforts, please visit PreventBlindness.org/edvi-act, or contact [email protected]. The NCCVEH offers free educational resources to parents and professionals, as well technical assistance, at NationalCenter.PreventBlindness.org.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.
Media Contact
Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness, 312.363.6035, [email protected], PreventBlindness.org
SOURCE Prevent Blindness
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