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.
This bill would create a nationwide, facility-wide ban on smoking at all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities. It amends title 38 of the U.S. Code to make it unlawful for any person—veterans, patients, residents, VA employees, contractors, or visitors—to smoke on the premises of any VHA facility. “Smoking” is defined to include traditional tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) and any electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) such as e-cigarettes, vape pens, and e-cigars. The bill defines a “facility of the Veterans Health Administration” as land or buildings under VHA control and not under the General Services Administration (GSA). It also makes conforming amendments, including deleting a provision from the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 and renumbering/remapping the section table accordingly. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition on smoking: Creates a blanket ban on smoking on all premises of any VHA facility, applying to veterans, patients, residents, VA employees, contractors, and visitors.
- 2Broad definition of smoking: Includes both traditional tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) such as e-cigarettes and vape devices.
- 3Scope of facilities: Applies to all land and buildings under VHA control that are not under GSA control (i.e., VHA facilities directly managed by VA, such as medical centers, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, etc.).
- 4Conforming amendments: Reframes the section in Title 38 and adjusts related statutory tables; repeals Section 526 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 as part of aligning the statute with the new prohibition.
- 5Legislative status and process: Introduced in the House on June 10, 2025 by Rep. Dunn (FL) for himself and Rep. Underwood, and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.