HB 5421 Summary

• Requires hospitals and outpatient surgical facilities to develop a policy for using surgical smoke evacuation systems by January 1, 2021, and implement the policy by October 1, 2021.

• Defines surgical smoke as by-products from energy-generating devices used during surgery, including surgical plume, bioaerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, and lung-damaging dust.

• Mandates surgical smoke evacuation systems capture and neutralize smoke at the point of origin before it contacts the eyes or respiratory tract of operating room personnel.

• Requires facilities to report implementation details to the Department of Public Health upon adoption of their policies.

• Directs the Commissioner of Public Health to report to the joint standing committee on public health by January 1, 2022, regarding each facility's surgical smoke evacuation policy and implementation status.