(a) Vision benefits shall be provided to subscribers and shall meet the federal coverage requirements in Section 2103 of Title XXI of the Social Security Act.

(b) The covered benefits shall be equivalent to those provided to state employees through the Department of Human Resources, except for tinted lenses and also photochromatic lenses, unless otherwise deemed medically necessary.

(c) The board shall establish the required subscriber copayment levels for vision benefits consistent with the limitations of Section 2103 of Title XXI of the Social Security Act. The copayment levels established by the board shall, to the extent possible, reflect the copayment levels provided to state employees through the Department of Human Resources.

(d) From March 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, inclusive, the adoption and readoption, by the board, of regulations to modify vision benefits pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, restriction of providers through which covered vision benefits may be obtained, restriction of benefits for services from nonparticipating providers, or restriction of products and materials provided as benefits pursuant to this section, shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary to avoid serious harm to the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare for purposes of Sections 11346.1 and 11349.6 of the Government Code, and the board is hereby exempted from the requirement that it describe facts showing the need for immediate action and from review by the Office of Administrative Law.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 665, Sec. 174. (SB 1308) Effective January 1, 2013.)