November 17, 2020- The Senate Surgical Smoke Study Committee will hold its final meeting today, Tuesday, November 17th at 1:00 pm. Access to the live stream is available at https://livestream.com/accounts/26021522/events/8730585. 

SB 347 seeks to "amend Chapter 7 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to regulation and construction of hospitals and other health care facilities, so as to require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to utilize surgical smoke evacuation systems during surgical procedures to protect patients and health care workers from the hazards of surgical smoke..." 

The Committee held two of its three meetings on Tuesday, September 15 and Tuesday, October 20, 2020. GNA Members Brenda Ulmer, MSN, RN, and Doreen Wagner, Ph.D., RN testified and Christopher Hudgins presented how surgical smoke is produced in the operating room. Other GNA Members testified about adverse health implications due to long term exposure to surgical smoke. 

Join the live stream at https://livestream.com/accounts/26021522/events/8730585. 

For questions or inquiries about the Surgical Smoke Study Committee or other legislative priorities, please contact GNA Senior Director of Membership & Government Affairs Tim Davis at tim.davis@georgianurses.org.