IA HSB504

Hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory surgical centers must adopt policies by January 1, 2027, to eliminate surgical smoke during procedures using energy-based devices such as electrosurgical tools and lasers.

Smoke evacuation systems are required to capture and filter surgical smoke at the point of origin before it can contact the eyes or respiratory tract of personnel.

The Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) is directed to adopt administrative rules implementing these requirements.

Surgical smoke is defined as by-products from energy-generating devices, including surgical plume, bioaerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, and lung-damaging dust.

The bill creates a new section 135S.1 in the Iowa Code establishing these smoke evacuation system requirements.