Whereas , The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is immediately to prohibit smoking in certain state facilities, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health and convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

The second paragraph of section 22 of chapter 270 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1996 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following two sentences:- No person shall smoke in the state house or in any building owned by the commonwealth or in any space occupied by a state agency or department of the commonwealth which is located in another building, including any private office in any such building or space mentioned in this sentence, notwithstanding the provisions of the last paragraph. The provisions of the foregoing sentence shall not apply to residents or patients of state hospitals, the Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts, the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke and any substance abuse treatment center under the jurisdiction of the commonwealth.