Outpatient Surgery's February 2018 issue
(osmag.net/BoW6tJ). Dr. Hedley required a double
lung transplant due to idiopathic pulmonary fibro-
sis, which he believes was caused by decades-long
exposure to surgical smoke. "Dr. Hedley was won-
derful," says Ms. Ulmer. "He feels the same way
Angela does — he wants to do everything he can to
eliminate surgical smoke."
2 6 • O U T P A T I
E
N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 2 1
California
Cal/OSHA has not yet released
its final surgical smoke
evacuation regulations.
Colorado
A bill signed into law in March
2019 will go into effect in
May 2021.
Connecticut
Two bills were introduced for
the 2021 legislative session: HB
5024 and HB 5997. Both have
been referred to the Joint
Committee on Public Health.
Georgia
Senator Gloria Butler intro-
duced SB 19 on Jan. 14. The
bill was read and referred to
the Senate Health and Human
Services Committee, where it
awaits a hearing.
Iowa
Introduced on Jan. 14 by
Representative Bobby
Kaufmann, HSB 59 was
approved unanimously by the
members of a state
subcommittee on Feb. 8.
Kentucky
Senator Julie Raque Adams
reintroduced legislation in
early 2021, and SB 38 passed in
the Senate unanimously on
Feb. 3. The bill awaits a hearing
in the House Health and Family
Services Committee.
New Jersey
AB 3982, reintroduced in May
2020, carried over into 2021.
The legislation has not yet been
posted to the Assembly Health
Committee for consideration.
Oregon
HB 2622, introduced on Jan. 11
by Representative Sheri
Schouten, had a virtual public
hearing before the House Health
Care Committee on Feb. 2. A vote
on the bill was expected from the
committee later in February.
Rhode Island
Law went into effect in
January 2019.
Texas
On Jan. 25, Senator Borris Miles
filed SB 429, which will require
state facilities to implement
policies for surgical smoke
evacuation by Jan. 1, 2022.
Note: Updates to failed 2020 bids
in Illinois, Tennessee and Utah
are not currently on the dockets.
When COVID-19 upended business as usual in
state capitols across the country, surgical
smoke evacuation legislation efforts were put on
hold. This year, AORN, state associations and
individuals have been working hard to reestab-
lish their surgical smoke evacuation lobbying
efforts. Here's a snapshot of the current status
of legislation around the country, according to
AORN Senior Director of Government Affairs
Jennifer Pennock. — Joe Paone
TEAMING UP Supportive Georgia legislators and smoke evacuation advocates come
together at the Georgia Senate's October Smoke Study Committee meeting.
The State(s) of Smoke Evacuation Legislation
Perioperative Pros Team Up to
Get Mandatory Usage Bills Passed
