(A) Whenever it is required by law that a visual test of the eye must be made or optometric care of the eye is required of a person by a school or college or a state or county agency, the test or care may be given by an optometrist licensed in this State. When a person is required to furnish evidence of visual efficiency, a report of a licensed optometrist is sufficient evidence to comply with the requirement.

(B) All agencies of the State and its subdivisions and all commissions, clinics, and boards administering relief, public assistance, public welfare assistance, social security, or health services under the laws of this State shall accept the services of licensed optometrists for all services that they are licensed to perform relating to a person receiving benefits from such an agency or subdivision of the State. These agencies, or agents, officials, or employees of these agencies, including the public schools, may counsel with and advise the persons needing eye care as to the type of service needed and as to those qualified to render the service; however, no attempt may be made to guide an individual seeking vision or eye care to either an optometrist or a physician licensed under Chapter 47 of Title 40, Physicians, Surgeons, and Osteopaths. The patient must be given free choice in selecting a specialist to serve the patient’s vision or eye-care needs in examinations, vision screening, or other vision-related services. However, an exception must be made in emergency cases of obvious eye injury or disease where delay in obtaining the services of a physician licensed under Chapter 47 of Title 40, Physicians, Surgeons, and Osteopaths, might endanger the patient’s visual health. Additionally, in recognized instances of disease or anomalies disclosed in the original physical evaluation by an agency, these cases may be referred directly to specialists, ophthalmologists, or optometrists as considered appropriate by the evaluating agency.

(C) There may be no differential in the fee schedule for payment of vision or eye-care services, whether performed by an optometrist or a physician licensed under Chapter 47 of Title 40, Physicians, Surgeons, and Osteopaths, that is, for like services common to both professions.

(D) No funds appropriated for vision or eye care may be used by an agency that practices discrimination between a licensed optometrist or a physician licensed under Chapter 47 of Title 40, Physicians, Surgeons, and Osteopaths.

(E) Nothing in this section may prevent a nurse, school teacher, or welfare worker, employed in public service, from ascertaining the probable need of visual services, if the person does not attempt to diagnose, prescribe, or recommend a particular practitioner or system of practice.