Oklahoma Governor To Sign Smoke Room Rebate Bill

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma restaurants that created separately ventilated smoking rooms would get a rebate to convert them to smoke-free under a bill Gov. Brad Henry plans to sign into law.

Henry scheduled a bill signing ceremony Friday for the Clean Air in Restaurants Act.

The voluntary program authorizes the State Department of Health to implement the rebate program. It would allow restaurants to recover 50 percent of the original expenditure, minus depreciation costs, if it converts to a smoke-free restaurant by January 2013.

The bill directs the Health Department to fund the program using a fund that includes money from the state's tobacco tax.

Restaurants were allowed to maintain separate smoking rooms under a public smoking ban law that took effect in 2003.

4/20/2010 Related Story: Oklahoma Senate OKs Rebate Program For Smoking Rooms