(a) The Arkansas Commission on Eye and Vision Care of School-Age Children shall:
(1) Study the eye and vision needs of the school-age children of Arkansas;
(2) Study and evaluate vision screening programs in the schools, and their effectiveness;
(3) Study and evaluate whether children are receiving adequate eye and vision care, and correction of vision problems;
(4) Study the effects of inadequate vision on the performance of children in the classroom; and
(5) Continue to develop a strategic statewide plan to ensure adequate eye and vision care of school-age children.
(b) The commission and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall report their findings and updates to the Governor, the Legislative Council, and the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor and the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor annually.
(c)
(1) The commission may accept any and all donations, grants of money, gifts, appropriations, instruments, equipment, supplies, materials, and services, conditional or otherwise, from private sources, from municipal and county governments, from the state, and from the United States Government.
(2) The commission may use any of its resources to further the commission's purposes and functions.
(3) All moneys collected under this section shall be deposited into a cash fund within the State Treasury to be maintained by the division.
(d) The commission shall develop criteria for the distribution of commission resources to individuals and school districts in need of financial or other assistance necessary to satisfy the requirements of §§ 6-18-1501 — 6-18-1506.
(e)
(1) In conjunction with the division, the commission shall develop criteria for passage or failure of a vision screening and criteria for referral for a comprehensive eye examination.
(2) The division shall adopt the criteria as rules promulgated under the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, § 25-15-201 et seq.
(f) In conjunction with the division, the commission shall develop standardized forms to be used with regard to conducting and reporting the results of eye and vision screenings.
(g) The commission and the division shall evaluate and approve the vision screening instruments, equipment, and other testing items that are used to conduct the eye and vision screenings.
(h) The commission shall conduct a pilot study to evaluate the pre- and post-performance test scores of school children who have been screened and referred for vision problems. The study shall encompass rural, urban, and Empowerment-Zone school systems.