Sponsors (2)
The bill improves health and workplace safety on VHA campuses and clarifies coverage (including e-cigarettes) but does so by restricting on-campus smoking access, imposing enforcement burdens, and creating transition risks for some veterans and facilities.
Veterans, patients, residents, VA staff, and contractors will be protected from exposure to secondhand smoke on VHA grounds and will work in a smoke-free environment, reducing respiratory/cardiovascular risks and likely lowering smoking-related absenteeism.
Clarifying the law's definitions (including e-cigarettes) and the scope of covered facilities reduces enforcement ambiguity for VHA administrators and facility managers.
Veterans and visitors who smoke will no longer be able to use designated on-campus smoking areas, causing inconvenience and potential confrontations or reduced access to services for some.
People with nicotine dependence, including some veterans and patients, may experience withdrawal during visits because on-site cessation support is not guaranteed.
Enforcing a campus-wide ban will require VA staff time and resources and could result in sanctions (fines, ejections) for noncompliant individuals, increasing administrative burden and potential conflict.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits smoking and use of e-cigarettes anywhere on the premises of all Veterans Health Administration facilities and updates the statute accordingly.
Prohibits smoking and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems anywhere on the premises of any Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility and applies to all persons on those premises, including veterans, patients, residents, VA employees, contractors, and visitors. Defines what counts as "smoke" (combustion of tobacco products and use of e-cigarettes/vapes) and defines VHA facilities to include VA medical centers, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, outpatient clinics, and readjustment counseling centers under VA/VHA control (but not buildings controlled by the General Services Administration). The bill also updates the statutory table of contents for chapter 17 and repeals a prior statutory provision from the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992.
Introduced June 10, 2025 by Neal Patrick Dunn · Last progress June 10, 2025