Requiring hospitals use a surgical smoke plume evacuation system and adopt policies for the evacuation of surgical smoke during certain surgical procedures.

Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 475
By Committee on Public Health and Welfare
2-4
AN ACT concerning health and healthcare; relating to hospitals; requiring
the use of a surgical smoke plume evacuation system during certain
surgical procedures.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Ambulatory surgical center" means the same as defined in
K.S.A. 65-425, and amendments thereto.
(2) "Hospital" means the same as defined in K.S.A. 65-425, and
amendments thereto.
(3) "Surgical smoke" means the smoke that is generated from the use
of a surgical device, including, but not limited to, surgical plume, smoke
plume, bioaerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants and lung-
damaging dust.
(4) "Surgical smoke plume evacuation system" means equipment
designed to capture, filter and eliminate surgical smoke at the point of
origin and before the surgical smoke can make contact with the eyes or
respiratory tract of patients and staff occupying the room where a
procedure that produces surgical smoke plume is performed.
(b) On and after January 1, 2027, each hospital and ambulatory
surgical center licensed by the department of health and environment that
perform procedures that produce surgical smoke plume shall use a surgical
smoke plume evacuation system and adopt and implement policies and
procedures to ensure the evacuation of surgical smoke plume for each
procedure that generates surgical smoke plume from the use of energy-
based devices, including, but not limited to, electrosurgery and lasers.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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