Rep. Foushee Introduces Legislation to Promote Use of Low-Emission Anesthetic Gases

DURHAM, NC (October 9, 2026) - Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) introduced the Low Emission Anesthetics Act to incentive the use of certain low-emission anesthetic gases by health care facilities.

Certain traditional anesthetic gases including desflurane or nitrous oxide used by healthcare providers have been found to have an outsized impact on greenhouse gas emissions, despite the existence of proven low-emission anesthetic gases like isoflurane or sevoflurane.

"While it is clear that the climate crisis is being driven by large corporations and fossil fuels, Congress has a duty to explore all routes to make meaningful reductions to greenhouse gas emissions-and anesthetic gasses are one way we can make a difference. Moving away from anesthetic gases that have an outsized impact on greenhouse gas emission while viable alternatives already exist in the market is one small step we can take to be better environmental stewards," said Congresswoman Valerie Fosuhee (NC-04). "I am proud to introduce the Low Emission Anesthetics Act to encourage the use of anesthetic gases that are less harmful to the environment, and I will continue to fight to keep the environment safe for generations to come."

Specifically, the Low Emission Anesthetics Act would establish a low-emission anesthetic gas credit for any health care facility making strides to phase out high-emissions anesthetic gases, with escalating tax credits for facilities making significant strides in this area.

The full text of the Low Emission Anesthetics Act can be found here.