The American Optometric Association (AOA) is highlighting newly enacted legislation in Tennessee that authorizes doctors of optometry to perform certain ophthalmic laser procedures, marking the state as the 16th to grant such authority and the second to do so in 2026. According to the AOA, the law updates and clarifies the state’s optometric scope of practice, with provisions focused on laser authority, procedural boundaries, and clinical standards. The legislation adds treatment of the eye, eyelids, and adnexa to statutory language and permits specific laser procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of anterior-segment conditions.
Under the law, certified optometrists will be permitted to perform laser peripheral iridotomy, selective laser trabeculoplasty, and yttrium aluminum garnet capsulotomy. A portion of the legislation is effective immediately to allow the state board to begin rulemaking, while full implementation is scheduled for January 1, 2028. The measure also outlines procedures that remain outside the optometric scope, including LASIK and PRK, cataract surgery, corneal transplants, retinal procedures, and most non-laser incisional surgeries. In addition, it expands optometrists’ authority to use local anesthesia and establishes that optometrists are held to the same standard of care as physicians performing similar services.
“This landmark victory—the result of years of dedicated advocacy by Tennessee doctors of optometry—is a game changer for patients and for the future of eye health care in Tennessee,” says Amanda Dellinger, OD, Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians Legislative Committee co-chair. “This law modernizes our state’s optometric scope to reflect the education and clinical training doctors of optometry receive today…helping to ensure more patients can get the care they need, when and where they need it.”
“Tennessee’s success reflects what’s possible when doctors of optometry come together with a clear, patient-centered vision and a sustained commitment to advocacy,” says AOA President Jacquie M. Bowen, OD. “This is about more than one state—it’s part of a growing, nationwide movement to ensure patients have access to the full scope of care doctors of optometry are trained to provide.”
The AOA pointed to similar legislative activity in other states. In Kansas, a recently passed law authorizes credentialed optometrists to administer certain injectable medications (excluding intraocular injections), remove eyelid lesions, and perform procedures including laser capsulotomy and trabeculoplasty.
Additional scope expansions were enacted in 2025. West Virginia approved laser procedures and minor eyelid surgeries, Montana authorized a range of anterior-segment procedures and granted its state board authority to establish certification standards, and Minnesota expanded prescribing authority, anesthesia use, and minor surgical procedures. The AOA continues to advocate for scope-of-practice changes through its state affiliates and government relations efforts, positioning these legislative developments as part of an ongoing national trend in optometric care.