A bill that would allow municipalities to create smoking bans stricter than the state ban has been passed by a state House of Representatives committee and is ready for a vote by the full House.
House Bill 58 would remove language from the Clean Indoor Air Act that prohibits local governments from passing tougher smoking laws. HB 58 was voted out of the House Health and Human Services Committee 12-5 on Monday, March 15, 2010.
Philadelphia is the only municipality with a stricter ban than the state. It was exempted from Clean Indoor Air Act’s restriction on local bans.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), who said, "If local governments want to take actions that would further support the health and welfare of citizens, they ought to have the ability to do that."
The Pennsylvania Medical Society is a longtime supporter of a statewide smoking ban.