As we reported earlier this week, a bill written by 1st District Senator Andre Jacque and 25th Assembly District Representative Paul Tittl recently was signed by Governor Tony Evers.
The so-called Eyeglasses Bill made it easier for non-profit organizations to donate prescription glasses to those in need in Wisconsin.
We spoke with Representative Tittl, who explained why this law is so important.
“A couple years ago we did a proclamation for Eyeglass Awareness Month or something like that for the Lions Club,” he told Jim Medley while on the WCUB Breakfast Club. “I actually spoke to the Lions Club here in Manitowoc, and I found out that they were having an issue. They get like 450,000 pair of glasses per year…and then they donate them to foreign countries.”
Tittl asked the club why they didn’t donate them to people in need here in Wisconsin.
That is when he learned about the liability issue.
“They said if [they] were to prescribe a pair of glasses to somebody, and all of a sudden they develop something, or their vision isn’t corrected enough, they are afraid of being sued,” Tittl explained. “They distribute them with a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist, so they are doing it the right way, but they were fearing that they would have lawsuits. “
This is what led the two local legislators to team up and write the bill, which was modeled after similar legislation in other states.
The measure also received support from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle and is now a law.
