---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7973"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7973"
heading: "Nonsmoking policy for children’s services"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7973"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter VIII — General Provisions"
  - "Part F — Uniform Provisions"
  - "Subpart 5 — environmental tobacco smoke"
---

# §7973. Nonsmoking policy for children’s services

- (a) **Prohibition—** After January 8, 2002, no [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) shall permit smoking within any [indoor facility](/usc/20/7972.md?p=3) owned or leased or contracted for, and utilized, by such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) for provision of routine or regular kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education or library services to [children](/usc/20/7972.md?p=1).
- (b) **Additional prohibition—**
  - (1) **In general—** After January 8, 2002, no [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) shall permit smoking within any [indoor facility](/usc/20/7972.md?p=3) (or portion of such a facility) owned or leased or contracted for, and utilized by, such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) for the provision of regular or routine health care or day care or [early childhood education programs](/usc/20/7801.md?p=16).
  - (2) **Exception—** [Paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall not apply to—
    - (A) any portion of such facility that is used for inpatient hospital treatment of individuals dependent on, or addicted to, drugs or alcohol; and
    - (B) any private residence.
- (c) **Federal agencies—**
  - (1) **Kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education or library services—** After January 8, 2002, no Federal agency shall permit smoking within any [indoor facility](/usc/20/7972.md?p=3) in the United States operated by such agency, directly or by contract, to provide routine or regular kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education or library services to [children](/usc/20/7972.md?p=1).
  - (2) **Health or day care or early childhood education programs—**
    - (A) **In general—** After January 8, 2002, no Federal agency shall permit smoking within any [indoor facility](/usc/20/7972.md?p=3) (or portion of such facility) operated by such agency, directly or by contract, to provide routine or regular health or day care or [early childhood education programs](/usc/20/7801.md?p=16) to [children](/usc/20/7972.md?p=1).
    - (B) **Exception—** [Subparagraph (A)](#c-2-A) shall not apply to—
      - (i) any portion of such facility that is used for inpatient hospital treatment of individuals dependent on, or addicted to, drugs or alcohol; and
      - (ii) any private residence.
  - (3) **Application of provisions—** The provisions of [paragraph (2)](#c-2) shall also apply to the provision of such routine or regular kindergarten, elementary or secondary education or library services in the facilities described in [paragraph (2)](#c-2) not subject to [paragraph (1)](#c-1).
- (d) **Notice—** The prohibitions in subsections [(a)](#a) through [(c)](#c) shall be published in a notice in the Federal Register by the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) (in consultation with the heads of other affected agencies) and by such agency heads in funding arrangements involving the provision of [children](/usc/20/7972.md?p=1)’s services administered by such heads. Such prohibitions shall be effective 90 days after such notice is published, or 270 days after January 8, 2002, whichever occurs first.
- (e) **Civil penalties—**
  - (1) **In general—** Any failure to comply with a prohibition in this section shall be considered to be a violation of this section and any [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) subject to such prohibition who commits such violation may be liable to the United States for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $1,000 for each violation, or may be subject to an administrative compliance order, or both, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5). Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation. In the case of any civil penalty assessed under this section, the total amount shall not exceed 50 percent of the amount of Federal funds received under any subchapter of this chapter by such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) for the fiscal year in which the continuing violation occurred. For the purpose of the prohibition in [subsection (c)](#c), the term “[person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4)”, as used in this paragraph, shall mean the head of the applicable Federal agency or the contractor of such agency providing the services to [children](/usc/20/7972.md?p=1).
  - (2) **Administrative proceeding—** A civil penalty may be assessed in a written notice, or an administrative compliance order may be issued under [paragraph (1)](#e-1), by the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) only after an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with [section 554 of title 5](/usc/5/554.md). Before making such assessment or issuing such order, or both, the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) shall give written notice of the assessment or order to such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) by certified mail with return receipt and provide information in the notice of an opportunity to request in writing, not later than 30 days after the date of receipt of such notice, such hearing. The notice shall reasonably describe the violation and be accompanied with the procedures for such hearing and a simple form that may be used to request such hearing if such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) desires to use such form. If a hearing is requested, the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) shall establish by such certified notice the time and place for such hearing, which shall be located, to the greatest extent possible, at a location convenient to such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4). The [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) (or the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5)’s designee) and such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) may consult to arrange a suitable date and location where appropriate.
  - (3) **Circumstances affecting penalty or order—** In determining the amount of the civil penalty or the nature of the administrative compliance order, the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) shall take into account, as appropriate—
    - (A) the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation;
    - (B) with respect to the violator, any good faith efforts to comply, the importance of achieving early and permanent compliance, the ability to pay or comply, the effect of the penalty or order on the ability to continue operation, any prior history of the same kind of violation, the degree of culpability, and any demonstration of willingness to comply with the prohibitions of this section in a timely manner; and
    - (C) such other matters as justice may require.
  - (4) **Modification—** The [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) may, as appropriate, compromise, modify, or remit, with or without conditions, any civil penalty or administrative compliance order. In the case of a civil penalty, the amount, as finally determined by the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) or agreed upon in compromise, may be deducted from any sums that the United States or the agencies or instrumentalities of the United States owe to the [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) against whom the penalty is assessed.
  - (5) **Petition for review—** Any [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) aggrieved by a penalty assessed or an order issued, or both, by the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) under this section may file a petition for judicial review of the order with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit or for any other circuit in which the [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) resides or transacts business. Such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) shall provide a copy of the petition to the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) or the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5)’s designee. The petition shall be filed within 30 days after the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5)’s assessment or order, or both, are final and have been provided to such [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) by certified mail. The [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5) shall promptly provide to the court a certified copy of the transcript of any hearing held under this section and a copy of the notice or order.
  - (6) **Failure to comply—** If a [person](/usc/20/7972.md?p=4) fails to pay an assessment of a civil penalty or comply with an order, after the assessment or order, or both, are final under this section, or after a court has entered a final judgment under [paragraph (5)](#e-5) in favor of the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5), the Attorney General, at the request of the [Secretary](/usc/20/7972.md?p=5), shall recover the amount of the civil penalty (plus interest at prevailing rates from the day the assessment or order, or both, are final) or enforce the order in an action brought in the appropriate district court of the United States. In such action, the validity and appropriateness of the penalty or order or the amount of the penalty shall not be subject to review.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title VIII, § 8573, formerly title IV, § 4303, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title IV, § 401, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1774; renumbered title IX, § 9563, renumbered title VIII, § 8573, and amended Pub. L. 114–95, title IV, § 4001(a)(1), (4)(A), (B), (C)(ii), title VIII, § 8001(a)(9), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1966, 2088, 2089.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was classified to section 7183 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 114–95.

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4001(a)(1)(A), substituted “early childhood education programs” for “early childhood development (Head Start) services”.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4001(a)(1)(B)(i), substituted “education programs” for “development services” in heading.

Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4001(a)(1)(B)(ii), substituted “education programs” for “development (Head Start) services”.

Subsec. (e)(3)(C). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4001(a)(1)(C), added subpar. (C) and struck out former subpar. (C) which was missing an opening parenthesis before the subpar. designation and read as follows: “such other matters as justice may require.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2015 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.