SB 491 - Smoking in Public Places Summary

• Expands Oklahoma's smoking ban to include private residences used as licensed child care facilities during operating hours and requires all political subdivisions to prohibit smoking on their properties.

• Eliminates designated smoking rooms in state buildings and local government buildings, and removes exemptions for stand-alone bars, taverns, cigar bars, and certain other venues previously allowed to permit smoking.

• Removes smoking exemptions for hotels, bingo facilities, retail tobacco stores, and other workplaces with limited public access that were previously allowed to designate smoking areas.

• Adds exemptions for indoor buildings and facilities conducting medical or scientific research on tobacco products at accredited universities or professional testing laboratories.

• Becomes effective November 1, 2013.