Wenstrup, Collins unveil bipartisan, bicameral bill to end smoking at VA facilities

U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on July 11 introduced bipartisan legislation in their respective chambers that would prohibit smoking at any facility operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Health Administration.

“It’s time that Congress change federal law to protect veteran patients and catch up with the smoke-free standard already in place at private hospitals,” said Rep. Wenstrup, who sponsored H.R. 3700 with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY).

“The focus of VA hospitals should be on promoting the health and well-being of the veterans it cares for,” said Sen. Collins, who cosponsored S. 2106 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).

The legislation would repeal a 1992 law that requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide and maintain designated indoor or outdoor smoking areas, according to information provided by the lawmakers.

The bill would align with and codify new VA efforts to institute a smoke-free policy at VHA facilities by an Oct. 1 deadline.

“Our bipartisan bill would support the VA’s new policy that eliminates designated smoking areas at its facilities, making them entirely smoke-free,” Sen. Collins said.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would not impact spending and could save the VA money over the long term, according to the lawmakers.

Rep. Wenstrup added that “as an Army Reserve doctor, I know that permitting or exposing patients to firsthand and secondhand smoke is dangerous, especially while they undergo treatment at VHA facilities.”

The legislation is supported by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and more than two dozen other organizations.