Surgical smoke evacuation legislation is under consideration in eleven states during the 2026 legislative sessions.

In 2025, AORN’s government affairs advanced protections for perioperative nurses and strengthened the nursing workforce pipeline at both the state and federal levels, while continuing to build momentum on surgical smoke legislation in state legislatures across the country.

Three States Hold Hearings on Surgical Smoke in October.

On August 25, 2025, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed HB 173-1 into law, making Delaware the 20th state to enact surgical smoke evacuation legislation.

Governor Josh Stein signed HB 67, an omnibus healthcare workforce reforms bill which included surgical smoke evacuation language, into law.

Multiple state legislatures take up the issue of surgical smoke in the operating room.

State poised to enact surgical smoke evacuation legislation in 2026.

The effort to pass mandatory surgical smoke evacuation legislation in statehouses across the U.S. continues in 2025 with the ultimate goal of removing toxic plume from the air of every OR in every state.

In honor of National Nurses Week, the Nursing Community Coalition held a “Thank a Nurse” reception on Capitol Hill.

New Minnesota smoke evacuation law goes into effect January 1, 2025.