54.1-3202 - Exemptions.
§ 54.1-3202. Exemptions.
This chapter shall not apply to:
1. Physicians licensed to practice medicine by the Board of Medicine or toprohibit the sale of nonprescription eyeglasses and sunglasses; or
2. Any optometrist rendering free health care to an underserved population inVirginia who (i) does not regularly practice optometry in Virginia, (ii)holds a current valid license or certificate to practice optometry in anotherstate, territory, district or possession of the United States, (iii)volunteers to provide free health care in an underserved area of thisCommonwealth under the auspices of a publicly supported all volunteer,nonprofit organization that sponsors the provision of health care topopulations of underserved people, (iv) files a copy of his license orcertification in such other jurisdiction with the Board, (v) notifies theBoard at least five business days prior to the voluntary provision ofservices of the dates and location of such service, and (vi) acknowledges, inwriting, that such licensure exemption shall only be valid, in compliancewith the Board's regulations, during the limited period that such free healthcare is made available through the volunteer, nonprofit organization on thedates and at the location filed with the Board. The Board may deny the rightto practice in Virginia to any optometrist whose license or certificate hasbeen previously suspended or revoked, who has been convicted of a felony orwho is otherwise found to be in violation of applicable laws or regulations.However, the Board shall allow an optometrist who meets the above criteria toprovide volunteer services without prior notice for a period of up to threedays, provided the nonprofit organization verifies that the practitioner hasa valid, unrestricted license in another state.
(Code 1950, § 54-369; 1988, c. 765; 2002, c. 740; 2008, c. 674; 2009, cc.353, 761.)