(a) The board shall issue, upon application and payment of the fee described in Section 3152, a license with retired volunteer service designation to an optometrist who satisfies any of the following:
(1) The applicant holds any of the following:
(A) A retired license issued within the last three years.
(B) A license that has not been renewed and has expired within the last three years.
(C) A license that is current and active.
(2) The applicant holds either of the following, and the applicant certifies on the application that he or she has completed an additional 50 hours of formal continuing optometric education coursework:
(A) A retired license issued more than three, but less than five, years ago.
(B) A license that has not been renewed and has expired more than three, but less than five, years ago.
(3) The applicant holds either of the following, and satisfies the requirements set forth in subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, of Section 3147.6:
(A) A retired license issued more than five years ago.
(B) A license that has not been renewed and has expired more than five years ago.
(b) The board shall not issue a license pursuant to this section to an applicant whose application would be subject to denial pursuant to Section 480.
(c) The applicant shall certify on the application that the sole purpose of the license with retired volunteer service designation is to provide voluntary, unpaid optometric services at health fairs, vision screenings, and public service eye programs.
(d) The holder of the retired license with volunteer service designation shall submit a biennial renewal application, with a fee fixed by this chapter and certify on each renewal that the required number of continuing education hours pursuant to Section 3059 were completed, and certify that the sole purpose of the retired license with volunteer service designation is to provide voluntary, unpaid services as described in subdivision (c). Pursuant to Section 3146, the license expires at midnight on the last day of the licenseholder’s birth month every two years if not renewed.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 125, Sec. 1. (AB 1253) Effective January 1, 2016.)