Sponsors (4)
The bill protects veterans, patients, visitors, and staff from secondhand smoke and simplifies smoking rules at VHA facilities, but it removes on-campus smoking access for smokers, may cause withdrawal-related harms for some veterans, and requires additional enforcement effort by VA staff.
Veterans, patients (including those with chronic conditions), VHA visitors, and employees will have reduced exposure to secondhand smoke and improved indoor air quality at VA hospitals and clinics, lowering respiratory and cardiovascular risks and likely reducing some healthcare-acquired complications.
VA facilities and administrators will have a single, uniform prohibition on smoking to apply across VHA grounds, simplifying rules and reducing confusion about where smoking is allowed.
Veterans and other VHA visitors who smoke will lose on-campus smoking areas and will be subject to enforcement when visiting VA facilities, reducing their autonomy and convenience.
Veterans who rely on nicotine for coping or who are nicotine-dependent may experience increased discomfort or withdrawal during care or long stays because access to cigarettes and e-cigarettes will be restricted on VHA grounds.
VA staff and administrators will face added enforcement duties and administrative costs to monitor compliance and address violations of the comprehensive ban, increasing workload and operational expenses for VHA facilities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits all smoking and the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems anywhere on the premises of any Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility. The ban applies to everyone on VHA property — veterans, patients, residents, VA employees, contractors, and visitors — and replaces the current statutory smoking rule. "Smoke" is defined to include both combustion tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) and e-cigarettes/vaping devices. The measure also updates the chapter table and repeals the prior statutory provision that implemented a smoking restriction.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress June 25, 2025