Sponsors (2)
The bill reduces health harms from secondhand smoke across VHA grounds and clarifies enforcement, but it shifts burdens onto smokers (including many veterans) and VHA staff by removing on-site smoking options and adding enforcement and transition challenges.
Veterans, patients, and long-term residents on VHA campuses will be protected from secondhand smoke because all VHA grounds would be smoke-free, reducing respiratory and cardiovascular risks.
VA staff and contractors will work in a smoke-free environment, lowering workplace exposure to tobacco smoke and the potential for smoking-related absenteeism.
VHA administrators and facility managers will have clearer rules because definitions (including e-cigarettes) and facility scope are clarified, reducing ambiguity in enforcement and policy interpretation.
Veterans and visitors who smoke will lose access to on-campus smoking areas and may face inconvenience, withdrawal, or confrontations when visiting VHA facilities.
Veterans and patients with nicotine dependence may experience withdrawal during visits because the ban does not guarantee on-site cessation support, which could affect care access and comfort.
VHA facilities and staff will face added enforcement responsibilities and resource demands to police a campus-wide ban, potentially resulting in fines, ejections, or other sanctions for noncompliant individuals.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bans smoking and use of e-cigarettes anywhere on property of any Veterans Health Administration facility, applying to all people on site.
Prohibits smoking and use of e-cigarettes anywhere on the premises of any Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility, applying to all people on VHA property, including veterans, patients, staff, contractors, and visitors. It defines “smoke” to include combustion of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems and defines covered VHA facilities broadly (medical centers, nursing homes, clinics, counseling centers, etc.). Updates the VHA statutory table of sections to reflect the change and repeals a prior law provision (section 526 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992) to conform with the new statutory prohibition.
Official title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit smoking on the premises of any facility of the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 10, 2025 by Neal Patrick Dunn · Last progress June 10, 2025