KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to North Carolina

H658 • 2025

Optometrists Telehealth Services.

Optometrists Telehealth Services.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Campbell, Huneycutt, Almond, Lowery, Baker, Balkcom, Cervania, F. Jackson, Miller, Moss, Pickett, G. Pierce, Scott, Ward, Willingham
Last action
2025-04-02
Official status
Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Effective date
2025-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Optometrists Telehealth Services.

Optometrists Telehealth Services.

What This Bill Does

  • Optometrists Telehealth Services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-02 House

    Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  2. 2025-04-02 House

    Passed 1st Reading

  3. 2025-04-01 House

    Filed

Official Summary Text

Optometrists Telehealth Services.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 658

Short Title: Optometrists Telehealth Services. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Campbell, Huneycutt, Almond, and Lowery (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Health, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 2, 2025
*H658-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW LICE NSED OPTOMETRISTS FL EXIBILITY TO PROVIDE 2
TELEHEALTH SERVICES. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Article 6 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 5
a new section to read: 6
"§ 90-118.5A. Telemedicine practice. 7
(a) A licensed optometrist may perform the practice of optometry , as defined by this 8
Article, to treat patients located in this State through the method of telemedicine, as long as the 9
licensed optometrist has a valid and active license in this State. The licensed optometrist shall 10
not be required to be located physically in this State or to have a license in the other state in which 11
the licensed optometrist is located physically while providing care to a patient in this State. 12
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the jur isdiction of the Board to 13
pursue violations of this Article against any licensed optometrist that uses telemedicine to 14
practice optometry under this section. Further, the use of telemedicine does not alter the scope of 15
the practice of optometry, and the licensed optometrist is subject to all laws and Board rules while 16
treating patients in other states." 17
SECTION 2. The North Carolina Board of Examiners in Optometry shall adopt rules 18
to implement the provisions of this act, including rules on the licensee -patient relationship, 19
examination, evaluation, and diagnosis of a patient, patient record keeping, prescribing, 20
telemedicine standard of care, and display of licensure and credentials, t o the extent that these 21
rules are not contrary to G.S. 90-118.5A, as enacted by Section 1 of this act, and in alignment 22
with the Board's Telemedicine Position Statement. 23
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 24