CO HB1399

Requires all hospitals with surgical services and ambulatory surgical centers licensed in Colorado to adopt a policy preventing human exposure to surgical smoke by July 1, 2019.

Policies must mandate the use of surgical smoke evacuation systems whenever a procedure generates surgical smoke, with systems capturing and neutralizing smoke at the point of origin.

Defines surgical smoke as gaseous byproducts from energy-generating surgical devices, including surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, and lung-damaging dust.

Requires the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to adopt rules establishing requirements for surgical smoke evacuation policies by March 1, 2019.

Applies to all surgical procedures performed on or after July 1, 2019, with the act taking effect August 8, 2018, subject to potential referendum petition.