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H2442 • 2025

An Act protecting patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke

An Act protecting patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke

Healthcare Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
James K. Hawkins
Last action
2026-04-15
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act protecting patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke

An Act protecting patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act protecting patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2442) of James K.
  • Hawkins and Joanne M.
  • Comerford for legislation to protect patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-15 House

    Committee recommended bill ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2026-03-19 House

    Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026

  3. 2025-12-08 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  4. 2025-10-16 House

    Reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing

  5. 2025-09-11 House

    Reporting date extended to Thursday, October 9, 2025

  6. 2025-06-06 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/11/2025 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1

  7. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Health

  8. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act protecting patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke
By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2442) of James K. Hawkins and Joanne M. Comerford for legislation to protect patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke. Public Health.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.2442

SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 244 the following section:-

Section 245. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Smoke evacuation system”, smoke evacuators, laser plume evacuators, or local exhaust ventilators that effectively capture and neutralize surgical smoke at the site of origin and before the smoke can make ocular contact or contact with the respiratory tract of the occupants of the room.

“Surgical smoke”, the by-product, including surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, and other lung-damaging dust, that results from contact with tissue by an energy generating device.

(b) All hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities licensed in the commonwealth under this chapter shall adopt policies to ensure the elimination of surgical smoke by use of a smoke evacuation system for any procedure that generates surgical smoke from the use of energy-based devices including, but not limited to, electrosurgery and lasers.

(c) Any hospital or freestanding ambulatory surgical facility that violates subsection (b) shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 for each violation.

SECTION 2. (a) Section 245 of chapter 111 of the General Laws shall take effect as of January 1, 2026.

(b) Every hospital and freestanding ambulatory surgical center shall report to the department of public health by April 1, 2026 regarding the policies they have adopted to comply with said section 245 of said chapter 111.

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