A bill sponsored by State Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko seeks to allow optometrists to directly supply certain medications to patients in a regulated setting, as reported by the Virginia State Senate.
The measure, known as SB212, was filed on Jan. 14, 2026, for the 2026 regular session and is formally titled: “Schedule VI controlled substances; TPA-certified optometrists permitted to sell and dispense.”
Below is a summary of the main points, based on the stated text of the bill, with some interpretation added to clarify its intent.
The bill enables TPA-certified optometrists to sell and dispense Schedule VI controlled substances directly to patients for diagnosed eye conditions if they are already authorized to prescribe these drugs and hold a restricted license from the Board of Pharmacy. Optometrists must be present when dispensing, guide patients on appropriate usage, and follow all requirements on safe storage, packaging, recordkeeping, labeling, and reporting. The bill states that it does not broaden the scope of an optometrist’s prescribing powers and instructs the Boards of Optometry and Pharmacy to establish necessary regulations and the new limited license within 280 days once the law takes effect.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko (Democrat-38th District) and Sen. David R. Suetterlein (Republican-4th District).
During this session, Boysko has also submitted 20 other bills.
Boysko, who earned her BA from Hollins College in 1989, represents the 38th District.
She was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2024, representing the 38th district and succeeding Travis Hackworth.
In Virginia, the process for passing legislation starts with a bill’s introduction in either the Senate or House of Delegates. The legislation moves to committee review and possible revision. Upon committee approval, it proceeds to debate and votes in both chambers. If both pass the bill, it goes to the governor for signing, veto, or approval without signature. The General Assembly meets each year beginning the second Monday in January, with hundreds of bills introduced and only a portion enacted.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer B. Boysko and David R. Suetterlein | SB212 | 01/14/2026 | Schedule VI controlled substances; TPA-certified optometrists permitted to sell and dispense. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko, Aaron R. Rouse, Adam P. Ebbin, Angelia Williams Graves, Barbara A. Favola, Danica A. Roem, David W. Marsden, Ghazala F. Hashmi, Jennifer D. Carroll Foy, Jeremy S. McPike, Kannan Srinivasan, L. Louise Lucas, Lamont Bagby, Lashrecse D. Aird, Mamie E. Locke, Michael J. Jones, R. Creigh Deeds, Russet Perry, Saddam Azlan Salim, Schuyler T. VanValkenburg, Scott A. Surovell, and Stella G. Pekarsky | SB2 | 01/14/2026 | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB214 | 01/14/2026 | Civic Education, Commission on; required to develop and include certain enumerated items on website. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and Scott A. Surovell | SB215 | 01/14/2026 | Prospective employer; prohibited from seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB216 | 01/14/2026 | Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB217 | 01/14/2026 | National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB335 | 01/14/2026 | Mental illness, neurocognitive disorder, etc.; affirmative defense or reduced penalty. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB341 | 01/14/2026 | Private elementary and secondary schools; policies relating to bullying and cyberbullying, etc. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB343 | 01/14/2026 | Herndon, Town of; amending charter, clarifies duties of town council. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and William M. Stanley, Jr. | SB344 | 01/14/2026 | Mammalian wildlife; premature separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB348 | 01/14/2026 | Firearms; storage in residence where minor or person prohibited from possessing is present, penalty. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko, Lashrecse D. Aird, Michael J. Jones, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB355 | 01/14/2026 | Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB373 | 01/14/2026 | Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; defense to action for possessions for nonpayment of rent. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and Scott A. Surovell | SB379 | 01/14/2026 | Psilocybin; Board of Pharmacy to reschedule upon federal scheduling changes. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB380 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, corporate and state; subtraction for broadband grant fund awards. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB406 | 01/14/2026 | Va. State Bar, et al.; use of nondisclosure/confidentiality prov. in certain settlement agreements. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB407 | 01/14/2026 | Transportation electrification; integrated resource planning, fast-charging stations, etc. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB409 | 01/14/2026 | Assisted living facilities; electronic monitoring in resident rooms. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB412 | 01/14/2026 | Court appearance of a person not free on bail; changes to provisions regarding hearings. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko, Richard H. Stuart, Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr., Lashrecse D. Aird, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB416 | 01/14/2026 | Deferred dispos. in criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB449 | 01/14/2026 | Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom(submitting to qualified voters). |
Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State Senate. The source data can be found here.
