Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 5-35.1 - Optometrists
Section 5-35.1-19. - Construction of glass lenses — Violations — Penalty.

§ 5-35.1-19. Construction of glass lenses — Violations — Penalty.
(a) No person shall distribute, sell, or deliver any eyeglasses or sunglasses unless those eyeglasses or sunglasses are fitted with heat-treated glass lenses, plastic lenses, lamination lenses, or lenses made impact-resistant by other methods. The provisions of this subsection do not apply if a physician or optometrist, having found that those lenses will not fulfill the visual requirements of a particular patient, directs, in writing, the use of other lenses and gives written notification to the patient. Before they are mounted in frames, all impact-resistant eyeglasses and sunglass lenses, except plastic lenses, laminated lenses, and raised-ledge multifocal lenses must withstand an impact test of a steel ball five-eighths (⅝) of an inch in diameter weighing approximately fifty-six hundredths of an ounce (0.56 oz.) dropped from a height of fifty inches (50"). Raised-ledge multifocal lenses are capable of withstanding the impact test but do not need to be tested beyond initial design testing. To demonstrate that all plastic lenses and laminated lenses are capable of withstanding the impact test, the manufacturer of the lenses shall subject to the impact test a statistically significant sampling of lenses from each production batch, and the tested lenses are representative of the finished forms as worn by the wearer. Plastic prescription and plastic nonprescription lenses, tested on the basis of statistical significance, may be tested in uncut finished or semi-finished form at the point of original manufacture.
(b) Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) for each violation.
History of Section.P.L. 2008, ch. 305, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 433, § 2.

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