H.B. No. 513 mandates that certain health care facilities, specifically hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, adopt and implement a policy for surgical smoke evacuation. This policy aims to mitigate exposure to surgical smoke during planned surgical procedures likely to generate such smoke. The bill introduces a new subchapter to the Health and Safety Code, defining key terms such as "surgical smoke," which includes various harmful by-products from energy-generating devices used in surgeries, and "surgical smoke evacuation system," which refers to equipment designed to capture and filter this smoke before it can affect individuals in the operating room.

The legislation requires that by January 1, 2026, affected health care facilities must have this policy in place, allowing them the flexibility to choose any evacuation system that ensures the safety of patients and health care providers based on the specific surgical techniques used. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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