WOOD-RIDGE – A measure sponsored by Senator Paul Sarlo to require children who wear prescription eyeglasses while participating in sports activities to wear protective eyewear has been signed into law by Governor Richard J. Codey.
“This law is necessary because the use of protective eyewear can mean the difference between a successful athletic career and permanent blindness,” said Senator Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic. “Assistance grants are being provided to help cover the cost of the glasses for kids who want to participate, but cannot afford the glasses. Every kid who wants to play should be able to.”
The new law, first introduced in the Legislature as S-1970, requires children who wear corrective glasses while participating in sports to wear protective eyewear that meets the frame standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ATSM) and the lens standards of the American National Standards Institute. The law’s provisions apply to children participating in school, community or government sponsored sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball and field hockey. The bill also authorizes the New Jersey Council on Physical Fitness and Sports to provide assistance grants to low-income families to help them purchase the protective eyewear.
