ATLANTA—Earlier this month, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a bill into law that requires anyone wishing to apply to take the practical examination to be licensed as a dispensing optician based on experience to register as an apprentice with the state’s licensing board.

The new law, HB 241, takes effect July 1. It sets an Aug. 31 deadline for registering to allow prior hours/years to count toward apprenticeship--which means that any optician currently working in the field who may wish to sit for the opticianry licensure examination any time in the future needs to register by that date to receive credit for his or her practical training and experience.

Anyone not registering by Aug. 31 will be required to begin his or her two-year apprenticeship all over, according to the law. Those applying to take the opticianry exam based on education from a recognized school are not affected.

For more details, see the Opticians Association of Georgia Web site at www.oagonline.org.