,,iv  #aai? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,h4 ,,res4 #ajij  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(    
,,repres5tatives  ,febru>y #bf1         
#bjbf,mr4 ,veasey 7= himself & ,mr4     
,bilirakis7 submitt$ ! foll[+           
resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee
 on ,en]gy & ,comm]ce  ,,resolution     
,express+ support = ! designation (     
,febru>y #bjbf z ,l[ ,vision & ,vision  
,impairm5t ,aw>5ess ,mon?4  ,:]eas1     
accord+ to ! ,int]national ,ag5cy = !   
,prev5tion ( ,bl9dness 7,,iapb71 #ij    
p]c5t ( vision or sight loss is         
prev5table or treatable & yet ! global  
economy loses an e/imat$ #daa billion to
 unaddress$ vision problems ea* ye>2    
,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,,iapb1 ov] #b     
billion p globally live ) vision        
impairm5t & yet approximately #a billion
 p live ) vision loss t c\ld h be5      
avoid$ or treat$2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to !  
,c5t]s = ,disease ,control & ,prev5tion 
7,,cdc71 approximately #ab million p ov]
 ! age ( #dj 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates h vision 
impairm5t1 includ+ #a million p )       

bl9dness & an e/imat$ #d4b million p ov]
 age #dj h an uncorrectable vision      
impairm5t2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to ,prev5t   
,bl9dness1 vision problems w co/ !      
,u4,s4 ne>ly #bjf billion 9 #bjbf 9     
m$ical co/s1 productivity losses1       
long-t]m c>e co/s1 & gov]nm5t program   
co/s1 plac+ significant /ra9 on         
families1 employ]s1 & public programs2  
,:]eas1 accord+ to ,prev5t ,bl9dness1 by
 #bjej1 ! impair$ & bl9d populations are
 project$ to rea* #g4c million & #c4a   
million1 respectively1 &1 by #bjej1 !   
numb] ( ,am]icans ) advanc$/age1        
age-relat$ macul> deg5]ation w d\ble to 
#d4d million1 glaucoma preval5ce w      
increase to #e4e million1 cat>act w gr[ 
to #de4f million1 & ! preval5ce (       
diabetic ret9opa?y w increase to #ac4b  
million2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,,cdc1    
diabetes is ! lead+ cause ( bl9dness 9  
adults & pati5ts :o h diabetes may (t5  
be unaw>e ( ! damage occurr+ to _! eyes1
 specifically 9 ! e>ly /ages1 :i* makes 
e>ly detection1 disease monitor+1 &     

treatm5t ( diabetes-relat$ eye disease a
 significant public heal? priority t c  
r$uce ! risk ( bl9dness by #ij p]c5t2   
,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,national ,c5t] =  
,*ildr5's ,vision & ,eye ,heal?         
7,,nccveh71 "o out ( e #abb *ildr5 9 !  
,u4,s41 includ+ "o out ( e #acg *ildr5  
ag$ #j-aa & "o out ( e #ajb *ildr5 ag$  
#ab-ag h uncorrectable vision loss1     
non-,hispanic ,black *ildr5 h ! highe/  
rates ( vision loss & bl9dness1 "o out (
 e #hi ,black *ildr5 h vision loss1 "o  
out ( e #a1jjj are p]man5tly bl9d1 &    
approximately #gfj1jjj *ildr5 enroll$ 9 
,m$icaid & ,/ate ,*ildr5's ,heal?       
,insurance ,programs 7,,*ip7 insurance  
cov]age 7 diagnos$ 9 #bjai ) ei!r       
amblyopia 7#cfj1jjj *ildr57 or /rabismus
 7#dhf1jjj *ildr572 ,:]eas1 accord+ to !
 ,,nccveh1 a *ild's vision develops &   
*anges f bir? ?r\gh *ildhood2 ?us1      
necessitat+ t a *ild %\ld be scre5$     
regul>ly1 ref]r$ to eye c>e1 & receive  
any ne$$ treatm5t & foll[-up to c>e to  
ensure vision problems are caught e>ly &

 p]man5t vision loss is avoid$2 ,:]eas1 
accord+ to ! ,,nccveh1 :ile e>ly        
detection & int]v5tion = vision disord]s
 9 *ildr5 are "p ( national goals &     
heal? c>e /&>ds1 !re is curr5tly no     
exi/+ program 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates t       
specifically addresses *ildr5's vision &
 eye heal? despite inve/m5ts 9 o!r      
aspects ( *ild heal? su* z he>+ & oral  
heal?2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,national   
,academies ( ,sci5ces1 ,eng9e]+1 &      
,m$ic9e 7,,nasem71 ! av]age age = myopia
 onset is #aa ye>s ) a range ( onset f  
#g to #af ye>s ) pot5tially lifelong    
consequ5ces includ+ ret9al deta*m5t1    
age-relat$ macul> deg5]ation1 glaucoma1 
& o!r pot5tially bl9d+ eye conditions2  
,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,,nasem1 ! ,u4,s4  
,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? & ,human ,s]vices1 9 
collaboration ) dep>tm5ts ( education at
 ! ,/ate level1 %\ld take measures to   
ensure t *ildr5 receive a vision scre5+ 
be=e fir/ grade & a compreh5sive eye    
exam :5 ne$$1 & t an integrat$1 national
 data surveillance sy/em is ne$$ =      

collect+ ,/ate-level data on vision     
scre5+1 ref]rals to eye c>e provid]s1   
sociodemographic 7age1 race_/e?nicity1  
sex1 & geographic location71 & outcomes 
( ref]rals2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to !        
,,nasem1 vision scre5+s held at         
community heal? c5t]s & ,f$]ally        
qualifi$ heal? c5t]s are promis+ ways to
 connect und]s]v$ populations to vision 
c>e & t vision scre5+s programs %\ld    
include a foll[-up compon5t to ensure   
eye c>e 0 receiv$1 :i* c be successfully
 execut$ ) ! p>tn]%ip ( eye c>e         
provid]s1 public heal? units1 public    
insurance plans 7su* z ,m$icaid &       
,,*ip71 e>ly int]v5tion1 & s*ool-bas$   
s]vices2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,national 
,alliance = ,eye & ,vision ,rese>*      
7,,naevr71 vision rese>*]s are at !     
=efront ( gr\ndbreak+ advancem5ts 9 g5e 
!rapies1 imag+ te*nologies1 artificial  
intellig5ce1 big data1 & reg5]ative     
m$ic9e2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,,naevr1 ! 
,u4,s4 is sp5d+ ov] #ehg p] ,am]ican on 
! treatm5t ( vision disord]s ?is ye>1   

:ile only sp5d+ #b4fd p] ,am]ican on    
rese>*1 highlight+ an opportunity to    
/r5g!n prev5tion & innovation ef=ts2    
,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,national ,eye     
,in/itute 7,,nei71 our national inve/m5t
 9 vision rese>* has l$ to major        
advances 9 ! prev5tion & treatm5t ( eye 
diseases & visual disord]s ?r\gh pione]+
 rese>* & te*nologies2 ,:]eas1 accord+  
to ! ,,cdc1 vision disability is "o ( ! 
top #aj disabilities among adults #ah   
ye>s & old]1 & ! preval5ce ( vision     
impairm5ts increases ) age2 ,:]eas1     
accord+ to ! ,c5t]s = ,m$ic>e & ,m$icaid
 ,s]vices 7,,cms71 ,m$ic>e does n       
usually cov] r\t9e vision s]vices su* z 
eyeglasses1 eye exams1 or contact l5ses 
nei!r does x cov] l[ vision devices or  
assi/ive te*nologies = loss ( functional
 vision1 b glaucoma & diabetes-relat$   
eye disease scre5+s & exams1 & c]ta9    
diagno/ic te/s & treatm5ts = pati5ts )  
age-relat$ macul> deg5]ation1 are cov]$ 
b5efits2 ,:]eas ^? suff]+ f vision      
impairm5ts or bl9dness are m likely to  

develop dem5tia & h tr\ble ) read+1     
cook+1 & driv+1 tr\ble 9 dim light1 fad+
 or o!r *anges 9 color p]ception1 &     
difficulty recogniz+ famili> faces1 :i* 
c increase reliance on c>egiv]s & public
 s]vices2 ,:]eas1 due to m$ical         
innovation1 a v>iety ( effective        
treatm5ts across ! spectrum ( vision    
impairm5ts & bl9dness are available1 c  
help pres]ve or improve vision1 & may "o
 day rev]se ! effects ( ret9al diseases 
& vision loss2 & ,:]eas _m bl9d+ eye    
conditions across ! age spectrum t      
result 9 vision loss or bl9dness are    
highly prev5table & treatable :5 met )  
timely prev5tion1 heal? promotion1 e>ly 
detection1 int]v5tion1 & access to c>e2 
giv5 ! co/-effectiv5ess ( prev5t+ vision
 loss1 visual impairm5t1 & bl9d+ eye    
diseases be=e !y happ5 comp>$ to ! high 
co/ ( treat+ & manag+ vision loss1      
visual impairm5ts1 & bl9d+ eye diseases 
aft] !y h occurr$2 9 consid]ation ( a   
rapidly ag+ population :o face *anges to
 ! /ructure & function ( ! eye z a      

result ( ! ag+ process2 & ) ! promise ( 
significant advancem5ts 9 treatm5t1     
access1 & innovation on ! horizon z a   
result ( opportunities 9 vision rese>*3 
,n[1 !re=e1 be x ,t ! ,h\se (           
,repres5tatives-- 7#a7 expresses support
 = rais+ aw>5ess ab\t l[ vision & vision
 impairm5t2  7#b7 recognizes ! impact ( 
prev5table vision impairm5t & bl9dness  
on ,am]icans1 includ+ effects on p]sonal
 indep5d5ce1 quality ( life1 work=ce    
p>ticipation1 community heal?1 national 
productivity1 & heal? c>e co/s2  7#c7   
supports access to appropriate &        
relevant heal? in=mation ab\t risk = eye
 disease & vision impairm5ts 9 work+ age
 adults & ag+ ,am]icans--p>ticul>ly z !y
 relate to *ronic disease--& supports   
access to appropriate heal? in=mation   
reg>d+ access to vision c>e & eye heal? 
s]vices at ! appropriate practice level 
7su* z optometri/s1 oph?almologi/s1 or  
ret9a speciali/s7 & community level 7su*
 z 9 community heal? c5t]s or f$]ally   
qualifi$ heal? c5t]s72  7#d7 promotes   

access to appropriate & relevant        
in=mation includ+ access to eye c>e1    
support s]vices1 & assi/ive devices to  
p>5ts1 c>egiv]s1 families1 provid]s1 &  
communities ab\t ! importance ( optimal 
vision to a *ild's cognitive function+ &
 motor skill developm5t1 social         
engagem5t & emotional connection1 le>n+ 
& academic success1 & long-t]m p]sonal &
 occupational opportunity2 &  7#e7      
affirms ! commitm5t ( ,congress to      
enc\rage ! ,secret>y ( ,heal? & ,human  
,s]vices to-- 7,a7 provide in=mation to 
pati5ts & heal? c>e provid]s ) respect  
to age-relat$ macul> deg5]ation1 includ+
 geographic atrophy1 neurological causes
 ( vision loss1 cat>acts1 glaucoma1     
diabetic ret9opa?y1 refractive errors1  
dry eye1 amblyopia1 color bl9dness1 &   
o!r eye diseases1 includ+ available     
scre5+ tools & treatm5t options1 ) a    
goal ( improv+ quality ( life & heal?   
outcomes2  7,b7 prioritize & conduct    
ess5tial surveillance ( vision loss1 eye
 disease1 & eye conditions t lead to    

vision loss1 visual impairm5t1 l[       
vision1 & bl9dness ?r\gh ! ,vision &    
,eye ,heal? ,surveillance ,sy/em        
7,,vehss72  7,c7 conduct additional     
rese>* on ! a=em5tion$ eye diseases &   
o!rs1 includ+ appropriate support       
s]vices & treatm5ts2 &  7,d7 conv5e     
pati5ts1 c>egiv]s1 & eye c>e provid]s & 
rese>*]s to develop & dissem9ate        
evid5ce-bas$ in=mation1 tools1 & /udies 
to help ,am]icans exp]i5c+ ! a=em5tion$ 
eye diseases & o!rs relat$ to vision    
impairm5t & bl9dness pres]ve1 protect1 &
 support _! vision heal?4