Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 162
       
       
        
       By Senator Davis
       
       
       
       
       
       5-00545-26                                             2026162__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to protection from surgical smoke;
    3         creating s. 395.1013, F.S.; defining the terms “smoke
    4         evacuation system” and “surgical smoke”; requiring
    5         hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, by a
    6         specified date, to adopt and implement policies
    7         requiring the use of smoke evacuation systems during
    8         certain surgical procedures; providing an effective
    9         date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Section 395.1013, Florida Statutes, is created
   14  to read:
   15         395.1013 Smoke evacuation systems required.—
   16         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   17         (a) “Smoke evacuation system” means equipment that
   18  effectively captures, filters, and eliminates surgical smoke at
   19  the point of origin before the smoke makes contact with the eyes
   20  or respiratory tracts of occupants in the room.
   21         (b) “Surgical smoke” means the gaseous byproduct produced
   22  by energy-generating devices, such as lasers and electrosurgical
   23  devices. The term includes, but is not limited to, surgical
   24  plume, smoke plume, bioaerosols, laser-generated airborne
   25  contaminants, and lung-damaging dust.
   26         (2) By January 1, 2027, each licensed facility shall adopt
   27  and implement policies that require the use of a smoke
   28  evacuation system during any surgical procedure that is likely
   29  to generate surgical smoke.
   30         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.