[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 64 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2323-S2329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself and Mr. Casey):
  S. 2710. A bill to improve treatment and early interventions for 
pregnant and postpartum women and infants affected by substance use 
disorder; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text 
of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2710

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Moms and Infants 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. IMPROVING TREATMENT FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM 
                   WOMEN.

       (a) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services (referred to in this subsection as the 
     ``Secretary'') shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress and make available to the public on the internet 
     website of the Department of Health and Human Services a 
     report regarding the implementation of the recommendations in 
     the strategy relating to prenatal opioid use, including 
     neonatal abstinence syndrome, developed pursuant to section 2 
     of the Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-
     91). Such report shall include--
       (A) an update on the implementation of the recommendations 
     in the strategy, including information regarding the agencies 
     involved in the implementation; and
       (B) information on additional funding or authority the 
     Secretary requires, if any, to implement the strategy, which 
     may include authorities needed to coordinate implementation 
     of such strategy across the Department of Health and Human 
     Services.
       (2) Periodic updates.--The Secretary shall periodically 
     update the report under paragraph (1).
       (b) Residential Treatment Programs for Pregnant and 
     Postpartum Women.--Section 508(s) of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-1(s)) is amended by striking 
     ``$16,900,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021'' 
     and inserting ``$29,931,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
     through 2023''.

     SEC. 3. EARLY INTERVENTIONS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND INFANTS.

       (a) Development of Educational Materials by Center for 
     Substance Abuse Prevention.--Section 515(b) of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-21(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(15) in cooperation with relevant stakeholders and the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     develop educational materials for clinicians to use with 
     pregnant women for shared decisionmaking regarding pain 
     management during pregnancy.''.
       (b) Guidelines and Recommendations by Center for Substance 
     Abuse Treatment.--Section 507(b) of the Public Health Service 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(15) in cooperation with the Secretary, implement and 
     disseminate, as appropriate, the recommendations in the 
     report entitled `Protecting Our Infants Act: Final Strategy' 
     issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in 
     2017; and''.
       (c) Support of Partnerships by Center for Substance Abuse 
     Treatment.--Section 507(b) of the Public Health Service Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 290bb(b)), as amended by subsection (b), is 
     further amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(16) in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, support 
     public-private partnerships to assist with education about, 
     and support with respect to, substance use disorder for 
     pregnant women and health care providers who treat pregnant 
     women and babies.''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. Cruz):
  S. 2714. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Don and Deyon 
Stephens, Founders of Mercy Ships, in recognition of nearly 40 years of 
service as the leaders of a humanitarian relief organization that 
exemplifies the compassionate character of America; to the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2714

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has worked in more 
     than 70 countries, providing services valued at more than 
     $1.3 billion, treating more than 2.56 million direct 
     beneficiaries.
       (2) Mercy Ships owns and operates the world's largest 
     private hospital ship, the Africa Mercy that has five state-
     of-the-art operating rooms and ward bed space for 82 
     patients.
       (3) Mercy Ships vessels are staffed by professional 
     volunteer crew including surgeons, nurses, doctors, dentists, 
     cooks, engineers, agriculturalists, teachers, and others.
       (4) Mercy Ships has performed more than 82,000 life-
     changing or life-saving operations such as cleft lip and 
     palate repair, cataract removal, orthopedic procedures, 
     facial reconstruction, obstetric fistula repair, and tumor 
     removal.
       (5) Mercy Ships has treated over 147,000 dental patients 
     including over 390,000 dental procedures.
       (6) Mercy Ships has trained more than 5,900 local 
     professionals (including surgeons) who have in turn trained 
     many others.
       (7) Mercy Ships has trained over 38,100 local professionals 
     in their area of expertise including anesthesiology, 
     midwifery, sterilization, orthopedic and reconstructive 
     surgery, and leadership, thereby increasing medical capacity 
     in the host nation.
       (8) Mercy Ships has taught over 198,000 local people in 
     basic health care.
       (9) Mercy Ships has completed over 1,100 infrastructure 
     development projects focusing on water and sanitation 
     education, agriculture and construction projects which 
     improve local health care delivery systems.
       (10) Annually, Mercy Ships has over 1,600 volunteers who 
     help in locations around the world, 900 of which serve in 
     Africa. At any given time, there are more than 400 crew from 
     40 nations onboard the Africa Mercy.
       (11) The Africa Mercy alone has had over 4,900 crew from 74 
     countries serve onboard since its inception in 2007. In 
     addition, more than 950 local Day Workers from 12 different 
     countries have served alongside since it first docked in 
     Africa.
       (12) Mercy Ships has served some of the world's poorest 
     populations and completed over 589 port visits in 55 
     developing nations and 18 developed nations for a total of 73 
     nations including: Australia, Bahamas, Benin, Belgium, 
     Belize, Brazil, Canada, China, Congo Brazzaville, Columbia, 
     Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, 
     Faroe Islands, Fiji, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, 
     Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea (West Africa), 
     Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Ivory Coast, 
     Jamaica, Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Madagascar, 
     Malta, Mexico, Montserrat, The Netherlands, New Caledonia, 
     New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, 
     Philippines, Poland, Russia, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, 
     Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, St. Eustatius (NL), St. 
     Kitts, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, Sweden, Tahiti, Togo, Tonga, 
     Trinidad, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vanuatu.
       (13) Through the years, Mercy Ships has had four hospital 
     ships that have served in some of the poorest ports in the 
     world. Those include:
       (A) The 16,500-ton Africa Mercy is the world's largest 
     nongovernmental hospital ship and is dedicated to the 
     continent of Africa.
       (B) The 522-foot Anastasis was the flag ship, and completed 
     her first relief mission in 1982 to Guatemala. Her crew of 
     400 worked in Africa until she was decommissioned in 2007.
       (C) Acquired in 1994, the 265-foot Caribbean Mercy with her 
     crew of 150 focused on the Caribbean basin and Central 
     America with its Eye Surgery Unit. The ship was sold in 2006.
       (D) Donated in 1983, the 172-foot Good Samaritan served the 
     Caribbean, Central and South America for 11 years with a crew 
     of 60. Renamed the Island Mercy, she was redeployed to the 
     South Pacific in 1994 and served there until sold in 2001.
       (E) Mercy Ships is currently building a new hospital ship 
     to serve Africa's most needy for the next 50 years with 
     delivery expected in 2018. The new vessel, larger than the 
     Africa Mercy, will assume the title of world's largest 
     private hospital ship with increased capacity building and a 
     focus on healthcare training. It will also further the 
     commitment of Mercy Ships to provide and promote through 
     teaching, safe surgery globally as demonstrated by their 
     membership in the G4 Alliance.
       (14) Mercy Ships has hosted Presidents and other heads of 
     state from many nations around the world onboard their 
     hospital ships who commended the free health care provided to 
     their people.
       (15) Mercy Ships has been endorsed by President Nelson 
     Mandela, President George Bush, Desmund Tutu, President Ellen 
     Johnson Sirleaf, Sir John Major, President Dr. Ernest Bai 
     Koroma, Tony Blair, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady 
     Mary Flake de Flores.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the

[[Page S2324]]

     presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of 
     appropriate design to Don and Deyon Stephens, Founders of 
     Mercy Ships.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions 
     to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such 
     regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price 
     sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and 
     the cost of the gold medal.

     SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this 
     Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 
     31, United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 
     5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under 
     this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Van 
        Hollen, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Booker, 
        Mr. Reed, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Merkley, 
        Mr. Carper, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Harris, and Mrs. 
        Feinstein):
  S. 2720. A bill to codify the outer Continental Shelf blowout 
preventer systems and well control rule and the Arctic drilling rule; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, tomorrow marks another somber occasion. 
Eight years ago, the news ticker came across our televisions saying 
that an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, off of Louisiana, was on fire, 
the Coast Guard was on the scene, and workers were missing.
  It was a Tuesday night. It was nearly midnight on April 20, 2010. By 
morning light, we knew 11 men would not be going home again. For 87 
days, the oil gushed into one of the most productive marine 
environments in the world. The studies show the oil impacted the 
deepwater corals and fish at the bottom of the food chain, all the way 
from the bottom up to the dolphins and sea turtles at the top.
  Here is one example. This is one in the bayous. You can see the marsh 
grasses in the distance. You can see the oil as it is coming up, and it 
is literally covering everything. They did studies on fish that would 
be in a bayou like this. A little fish, about as big is this, is called 
a killifish. LSU professors did this study, and they compared them to 
the bayous where there was not this kind of oil, compared it to similar 
killifish. What they found over time was the little fish in bayous like 
this were stunted. They didn't reproduce. They mutated because of this.
  Nearly 5 million barrels of oil gushed for 3 months. A lot of it is 
still there. Some of it is at the bottom where that well was, and that 
wellhead on the sea floor below the rig was a mile deep. We worked as 
one gulf community in a bipartisan way. We passed legislation--it was 
called the RESTORE Act--to send a message that there were going to be 
fines and penalties under the Clean Water Act. So many barrels of oil, 
a figure, and then the culpability of the oil company that allowed it 
to happen. A Federal judge did an extended trial over several years and 
came up with that fine and that penalty. The RESTORE Act said that 
money that was going to be assessed against the oil company was going 
back to the Gulf of Mexico region, and it was going to aid in the 
economy and in the environment.
  There was another impact. The winds caught that oil slick and started 
sending it east from Louisiana, and it got over to the white sugary 
sands of Pensacola Beach in Destin and tar balls as far east as Panama 
City Beach. Those white sands were completely covered in tar and oil. 
Those photographs of Pensacola Beach went around the world. What was 
the result? Our guests, our visitors, our tourists, for an entire 
season, thought all of the Gulf of Mexico beaches along Florida were 
covered like Pensacola Beach was, and they didn't come for the entire 
year. Not only did you have an environmental effect like this, you had 
an economic effect like the loss of tourist revenue in the hotels, 
motels, the restaurants, the dry cleaners, the little newspapers, and 
all the ancillary businesses that depend upon a $60 billion-a-year 
tourist industry in Florida. Still, I am afraid the oil industry hopes 
we have forgotten all of this.
  This month, the media released documents from 2016 in which BP claims 
that an oilspill can be a welcomed boost to local economies. Can you 
believe that? This oilspill was in 2010. In 2016, we have just 
uncovered documents that BP claimed that an oilspill can be ``a welcome 
boost to local economies.'' How outrageous and how arrogant. I can 
assure you, the coastal communities of Florida vigorously disagree, and 
I bet you the coastal communities that had to put up with that in their 
bayous would disagree vigorously as well.
  All that progress, and yet the industry is relentless in wanting to 
take us backward. They still want to open up Florida's beaches and 
offshore to drilling, and we have to fight it every day.
  The one thing we also have going for us is, the Gulf of Mexico, off 
of Florida, is the largest testing and training area for the U.S. 
military in the world. This Senator just climbed into an Air Force jet 
to fly part of the training profile for young pilots, knowing they have 
restricted airspace. That was out of Eglin Air Force Base--the testing 
and training designee for all of the Department of Defense. We have a 
range that goes from the Panhandle of Florida all the way south in the 
Gulf of Mexico, off of Key West. In a one-angle shot, they can shoot 
sophisticated, long-range weapons 600 miles to do the testing.

  Big Oil is now trying to roll back some of the basic safety rules 
that were put in place after the disaster in order to prevent another 
tragedy. It is happening in front of our eyes. Two years ago, they said 
that an oilspill could be a welcome boost to the local economies. Yet 
they are rolling back safety rules today that were put in place in the 
aftermath of there being 11 people killed on the Deepwater Horizon oil 
rig. They are rolling that back today in this administration's 
agencies.
  That is why I am joining Senator Cantwell and other colleagues in 
introducing legislation to codify these sensible safety measures, like 
those designed to update the standards for blowout preventers and a 
requirement for a third party to certify the safety mechanisms.
  Let me explain what a blowout preventer is. It didn't work in the 
Deepwater Horizon oilspill. A mile below the surface, where the well 
comes out of the Earth, there is a thing called a blowout preventer. 
If, as happened, there is a blowout in BP's oil well, there is a 
mechanism that is supposed to safely cut the oil line--pinch it and 
stop it from flowing. It was faulty. It did not work. So there have 
been new standards for blowout preventers since 2010. In 2018, 8 years 
later, the oil industry is trying to roll back those safety 
requirements that were put in place in the aftermath of their spilling 
5 million barrels of oil into the gulf.
  Do you see the fight that we have? It is almost every week. We can't 
allow the Department of the Interior to take us backward in time and 
expose our beautiful beaches and our tourism-based local economies, as 
well as our military, to another Deepwater Horizon-type catastrophe if 
they keep pushing back these safety rules.
  That is the purpose of introducing this legislation today with 
Senator Cantwell. If we don't watch it, we are going to be right back 
in the same place we were 8 years ago. It will be 8 years ago to the 
day tomorrow that we had that awful experience.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Booker, Mr. Leahy, and 
        Ms. Warren):
  S. 2724. A bill to reform the use of solitary confinement and other 
forms of restrictive housing in the Bureau of Prisons, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2724

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Solitary Confinement Reform 
     Act''.

[[Page S2325]]

  


     SEC. 2. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT REFORMS.

       (a) Amendment.--Chapter 303 of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 4050. Solitary confinement

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Administrative maximum facility.--The term 
     `administrative maximum facility' means a maximum-security 
     facility, including the Administrative Maximum facility in 
     Florence, Colorado, designed to house inmates who present an 
     ongoing significant and serious threat to other inmates, 
     staff, and the public.
       ``(2) Administrative segregation.--The term `administrative 
     segregation' means a non-punitive form of solitary 
     confinement that removes an individual from the general 
     population of a correctional facility for--
       ``(A) investigative, protective, or preventative reasons 
     resulting in a substantial and immediate threat; or
       ``(B) transitional reasons, including a pending transfer, 
     pending classification, or other temporary administrative 
     matter.
       ``(3) Appropriate level of care.--The term `appropriate 
     level of care' means the appropriate treatment setting for 
     mental health care that an inmate with mental illness 
     requires, which may include outpatient care, emergency or 
     crisis services, day treatment, supported residential 
     housing, infirmary care, or inpatient psychiatric 
     hospitalization services.
       ``(4) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of 
     the Bureau of Prisons.
       ``(5) Disciplinary hearing officer.--The term `disciplinary 
     hearing officer' means an employee of the Bureau of Prisons 
     who is responsible for conducting disciplinary hearings for 
     which solitary confinement may be a sanction, as described in 
     section 541.8 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
     any successor thereto.
       ``(6) Disciplinary segregation.--The term `disciplinary 
     segregation' means a punitive form of solitary confinement 
     imposed only by a Disciplinary Hearing Officer as a sanction 
     for committing a significant and serious disciplinary 
     infraction.
       ``(7) Intellectual disability.--The term `intellectual 
     disability' means a significant mental impairment 
     characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual 
     functioning and in adaptive behavior.
       ``(8) Multidisciplinary staff committee.--The term 
     `multidisciplinary staff committee' means a committee--
       ``(A) made up of staff at the facility where an inmate 
     resides who are responsible for reviewing the initial 
     placement of the inmate in solitary confinement and any 
     extensions of time in solitary confinement; and
       ``(B) which shall include--
       ``(i) not less than 1 licensed mental health professional;
       ``(ii) not less than 1 medical professional; and
       ``(iii) not less than 1 member of the leadership of the 
     facility.
       ``(9) Ongoing significant and serious threat.--The term 
     `ongoing significant and serious threat' means an ongoing set 
     of circumstances that require the highest level of security 
     and staff supervision for an inmate who, by the behavior of 
     the inmate--
       ``(A) has been identified as assaultive, predacious, 
     riotous, or a serious escape risk; and
       ``(B) poses a great risk to other inmates, staff, and the 
     public.
       ``(10) Protection case.--The term `protection case' means 
     an inmate who, by the request of the inmate or through a 
     staff determination, requires protection, as described by 
     section 541.23(c)(3) of title 28, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, or any successor thereto.
       ``(11) Serious mental illness.--The term `serious mental 
     illness' means a substantial disorder of thought or mood that 
     significantly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to 
     recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary 
     demands of life.
       ``(12) Significant and serious disciplinary infraction.--
     The term `significant and serious disciplinary infraction' 
     means--
       ``(A) an act of violence that either--
       ``(i) resulted in or was likely to result in serious injury 
     or death to another; or
       ``(ii) occurred in connection with any act of non-
     consensual sex; or
       ``(B) an escape, attempted escape, or conspiracy to escape 
     from within a security perimeter or custody, or both; or
       ``(C) possession of weapons, possession of illegal 
     narcotics with intent to distribute, or other similar, severe 
     threats to the safety of the inmate, other inmates, staff, or 
     the public.
       ``(13) Solitary confinement.--The term `solitary 
     confinement' means confinement characterized by substantial 
     isolation in a cell, alone or with other inmates, including 
     administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, and 
     confinement in any facility designated by the Bureau of 
     Prisons as a special housing unit, special management unit, 
     or administrative maximum facility.
       ``(14) Special administrative measures.--The term `special 
     administrative measures' means reasonably necessary measures 
     used to--
       ``(A) prevent disclosure of classified information upon 
     written certification to the Attorney General by the head of 
     an element of the intelligence community (as specified or 
     designated under section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 
     1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))) that the unauthorized disclosure of 
     such information would pose a threat to the national security 
     and that there is a danger that the inmate will disclose such 
     information, as described by section 501.2 of title 28, Code 
     of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; or
       ``(B) protect persons against the risk of death or serious 
     bodily injury, upon written notification to the Director by 
     the Attorney General or, at the Attorney General's direction, 
     by the head of a Federal law enforcement agency, or the head 
     of an element of the intelligence community (as specified or 
     designated under section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 
     1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))), that there is a substantial risk 
     that the communications of an inmate or contacts by the 
     inmate with other persons could result in death or serious 
     bodily injury to persons, or substantial damage to property 
     that would entail the risk of death or serious bodily injury 
     to persons, as described by section 501.3 of title 28, Code 
     of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
       ``(15) Special housing unit.--The term `special housing 
     unit' means a housing unit in an institution of the Bureau of 
     Prisons in which inmates are securely separated from the 
     general inmate population for disciplinary or administrative 
     reasons, as described in section 541.21 of title 28, Code of 
     Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
       ``(16) Special management unit.--The term `special 
     management unit' means a non-punitive housing program with 
     multiple, step-down phases for inmates whose history, 
     behavior, or situation requires enhanced management 
     approaches in order to ensure the safety of other inmates, 
     the staff, and the public.
       ``(17) Substantial and immediate threat.--The term 
     `substantial and immediate threat' means any set of temporary 
     and unforeseen circumstances that require immediate action in 
     order to combat a threat to the safety of an inmate, other 
     inmates, staff, or the public.
       ``(b) Use of Solitary Confinement.--
       ``(1) In general.--The placement of a Federal inmate in 
     solitary confinement within the Bureau of Prisons or any 
     facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons to provide 
     housing for inmates in Federal custody shall be limited to 
     situations in which such confinement--
       ``(A) is limited to the briefest term and the least 
     restrictive conditions practicable, including not less than 4 
     hours of out-of-cell time every day, unless the inmate poses 
     a substantial and immediate threat;
       ``(B) is consistent with the rationale for placement and 
     with the progress achieved by the inmate;
       ``(C) allows the inmate to participate in meaningful 
     programming opportunities and privileges as consistent with 
     those available in the general population as practicable, 
     either individually or in a classroom setting;
       ``(D) allows the inmate to have as much meaningful 
     interaction with others, such as other inmates, visitors, 
     clergy, or licensed mental health professionals, as 
     practicable; and
       ``(E) complies with the provisions of this section.
       ``(2) Transitional process for inmates in solitary 
     confinement.--
       ``(A) Inmates with upcoming release dates.--The Director 
     shall establish--
       ``(i) policies to ensure that an inmate with an anticipated 
     release date of 180 days or less is not housed in solitary 
     confinement, unless--

       ``(I) such confinement is limited to not more than 5 days 
     of administrative segregation relating to the upcoming 
     release of the inmate; or
       ``(II) the inmate poses a substantial and immediate threat; 
     and

       ``(ii) a transitional process for each inmate with an 
     anticipated release date of 180 days or less who is held in 
     solitary confinement under clause (i)(II), which shall 
     include--

       ``(I) substantial re-socialization programming in a group 
     setting;
       ``(II) regular mental health counseling to assist with the 
     transition; and
       ``(III) re-entry planning services offered to inmates in a 
     general population setting.

       ``(B) Inmates in long-term solitary confinement.--The 
     Director shall establish a transitional process for each 
     inmate who has been held in solitary confinement for more 
     than 30 days and who will transition into a general 
     population unit, which shall include--
       ``(i) substantial re-socialization programming in a group 
     setting; and
       ``(ii) regular mental health counseling to assist with the 
     transition.
       ``(3) Protective custody units.--The Director--
       ``(A) shall establish within the Federal prison system 
     additional general population protective custody units that 
     provide sheltered general population housing to protect 
     inmates from harm that they may otherwise be exposed to in a 
     typical general population housing unit;
       ``(B) shall establish policies to ensure that an inmate who 
     is considered a protection case shall, upon request of the 
     inmate, be placed in a general population protective custody 
     unit;
       ``(C) shall create an adequate number of general population 
     protective custody units to--
       ``(i) accommodate the requests of inmates who are 
     considered to be protection cases; and

[[Page S2326]]

       ``(ii) ensure that inmates who are considered to be 
     protection cases are placed in facilities as close to their 
     homes as practicable; and
       ``(D) may not place an inmate who is considered to be a 
     protection case in solitary confinement due to the status of 
     the inmate as a protection case unless--
       ``(i) the inmate requests to be placed in solitary 
     confinement, in which case, at the request of the inmate the 
     inmate shall be transferred to a general population 
     protective custody unit or, if appropriate, a different 
     general population unit; or
       ``(ii) such confinement is limited to--

       ``(I) not more than 5 days of administrative segregation; 
     and
       ``(II) is necessary to protect the inmate during 
     preparation for transfer to a general population protective 
     custody unit or a different general population unit.

       ``(4) Vulnerable populations.--The Bureau of Prisons or any 
     facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons shall not 
     place an inmate in solitary confinement if--
       ``(A) the inmate is younger than 18 years of age, unless--
       ``(i) such confinement is a temporary response to the 
     behavior of the inmate, which poses a substantial and 
     immediate threat;
       ``(ii) all other options to de-escalate the situation have 
     been exhausted, including less restrictive techniques such 
     as--

       ``(I) penalizing the inmate through loss of privileges;
       ``(II) speaking with the inmate in an attempt to de-
     escalate the situation; and
       ``(III) a licensed mental health professional providing an 
     appropriate level of care;

       ``(iii) such confinement is limited to--

       ``(I) 3 hours after the inmate is placed in solitary 
     confinement, if the inmate poses a substantial and immediate 
     threat to others; or
       ``(II) 30 minutes after the inmate is placed in solitary 
     confinement, if the inmate poses a substantial and immediate 
     threat only to himself or herself; and

       ``(iv) if, after the applicable maximum period of 
     confinement under subclause (I) or (II) of clause (iii) has 
     expired, the inmate continues to pose a substantial and 
     immediate threat described in that subclause--

       ``(I) the inmate shall be transferred to another facility 
     or internal location where services can be provided to the 
     inmate without relying on solitary confinement; or
       ``(II) if a qualified mental health professional believes 
     the level of crisis service needed is not currently 
     available, a staff member of the facility shall initiate a 
     referral to a location that can meet the needs of the inmate;

       ``(B) the inmate has a serious mental illness, has an 
     intellectual disability, has a physical disability that a 
     licensed medical professional finds is likely to be 
     exacerbated by placement in solitary confinement, is pregnant 
     or in the first 8 weeks of the post-partum recovery period 
     after giving birth, or has been determined by a licensed 
     mental health professional to likely be significantly 
     adversely affected by placement in solitary confinement, 
     unless--
       ``(i) the inmate poses a substantial and immediate threat;
       ``(ii) all other options to de-escalate the situation have 
     been exhausted, including less restrictive techniques such 
     as--

       ``(I) penalizing the inmate through loss of privileges;
       ``(II) speaking with the inmate in an attempt to de-
     escalate the situation; and
       ``(III) a licensed mental health professional providing an 
     appropriate level of care;

       ``(iii) such confinement is limited to the briefest term 
     and the least restrictive conditions practicable, including 
     access to medical and mental health treatment;
       ``(iv) such confinement is reviewed by a multidisciplinary 
     staff committee for appropriateness every 24 hours; and
       ``(v) as soon as practicable, but not later than 5 days 
     after such confinement begins, the inmate is diverted, upon 
     release from solitary confinement, to--

       ``(I) a general population unit;
       ``(II) a protective custody unit described in paragraph 
     (3); or
       ``(III) a mental health treatment program as described in 
     subsection (c)(2);

       ``(C) the inmate is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (as 
     defined in section 115.5 of title 28, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, or any successor thereto), intersex (as defined 
     in section 115.5 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
     any successor thereto), or gender nonconforming (as defined 
     in section 115.5 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
     any successor thereto), when such placement is solely on the 
     basis of such identification or status; or
       ``(D) the inmate is HIV positive, if the placement is 
     solely on the basis of the HIV positive status of the inmate.
       ``(5) Special housing units.--The Director shall--
       ``(A) limit administrative segregation--
       ``(i) to situations in which such segregation is necessary 
     to--

       ``(I) control a substantial and immediate threat that 
     cannot be addressed through alternative housing; or
       ``(II) temporarily house an inmate pending transfer, 
     pending classification, or pending resolution of another 
     temporary administrative matter; and

       ``(ii) to a duration of not more than 15 consecutive days, 
     and not more than 20 days in a 60-day period, unless--

       ``(I) the inmate requests to remain in administrative 
     segregation under paragraph (3)(D)(i); or
       ``(II) in order to address the continued existence of a 
     substantial and immediate threat, a multidisciplinary staff 
     committee approves a temporary extension, which--

       ``(aa) may not be longer than 15 days; and
       ``(bb) shall be reviewed by the multidisciplinary staff 
     committee every 3 days during the period of the extension, in 
     order to confirm the continued existence of the substantial 
     and immediate threat;
       ``(B) limit disciplinary segregation--
       ``(i) to situations in which such segregation is necessary 
     to punish an inmate who has been found to have committed a 
     significant and serious disciplinary infraction by a 
     Disciplinary Hearing Officer and alternative sanctions would 
     not adequately regulate the behavior of the inmate; and
       ``(ii) to a duration of not more than 30 consecutive days, 
     and not more than 40 days in a 60-day period, unless a 
     multidisciplinary staff committee, in consultation with the 
     Disciplinary Hearing Officer who presided over the inmate's 
     disciplinary hearing, determines that the significant and 
     serious disciplinary infraction of which the inmate was found 
     guilty is of such an egregious and violent nature that a 
     longer sanction is appropriate and approves a longer 
     sanction, which--

       ``(I) may be not more than 60 days in a special housing 
     unit if the inmate has never before been found guilty of a 
     similar significant and serious disciplinary infraction; or
       ``(II) may be not more than 90 days in a special housing 
     unit if the inmate has previously been found guilty of a 
     similar significant and serious disciplinary infraction;

       ``(C) ensure that any time spent in administrative 
     segregation during an investigation into an alleged offense 
     is credited as time served for a disciplinary segregation 
     sentence;
       ``(D) ensure that concurrent sentences are imposed for 
     disciplinary violations arising from the same episode; and
       ``(E) ensure that an inmate may be released from 
     disciplinary segregation for good behavior before completing 
     the term of the inmate, unless the inmate poses a substantial 
     and immediate threat to the safety of other inmates, staff, 
     or the public.
       ``(6) Special management units.--The Director shall--
       ``(A) limit segregation in a special management unit to 
     situations in which such segregation is necessary to 
     temporarily house an inmate whose history, behavior, or 
     circumstances require enhanced management approaches that 
     cannot be addressed through alternative housing;
       ``(B) evaluate whether further reductions to the minimum 
     and maximum number of months an inmate may spend in a special 
     management unit are appropriate on an annual basis;
       ``(C) ensure that each inmate understands the status of the 
     inmate in the special management unit program and how the 
     inmate may progress through the program; and
       ``(D) further reduce the minimum and maximum number of 
     months an inmate may spend in a special management unit if 
     the Director determines such reductions are appropriate after 
     evaluations are performed under subparagraph (B).
       ``(7) Administrative maximum facilities.--The Director 
     shall--
       ``(A) limit segregation in an administrative maximum 
     facility to situations in which such segregation is necessary 
     to--
       ``(i) implement special administrative measures, as 
     directed by the Attorney General; or
       ``(ii) house an inmate who poses an ongoing significant and 
     serious threat to the safety of other inmates, staff, or the 
     public that cannot be addressed through alternative housing; 
     and
       ``(B) issue final approval of referral of any inmate who 
     poses an ongoing significant and serious threat for placement 
     in an Administrative Maximum facility, including the United 
     States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum in Florence, 
     Colorado.
       ``(8) Right to review placement in solitary confinement.--
     The Director shall ensure that each inmate placed in solitary 
     confinement has access to--
       ``(A) written notice thoroughly detailing the basis for 
     placement or continued placement in solitary confinement not 
     later than 6 hours after the beginning of such placement, 
     including--
       ``(i) thorough documentation explaining why such 
     confinement is permissible and necessary under paragraph (1); 
     and
       ``(ii) if an exception under paragraph (2)(A), (3)(D), 
     (4)(A), (4)(B), (4)(C), (5)(A), or (5)(B) is used to justify 
     placement in solitary confinement or under paragraph (1) to 
     justify increased restrictive conditions in solitary 
     confinement, thorough documentation explaining why such an 
     exception applied;
       ``(B) a timely, thorough, and continuous review process 
     that--
       ``(i) occurs within not less than 3 days of placement in 
     solitary confinement, and thereafter at least--

       ``(I) on a weekly basis for inmates in special housing 
     units;
       ``(II) on a monthly basis for inmates in special management 
     units; and
       ``(III) on a monthly basis for inmates at an administrative 
     maximum facility;

       ``(ii) includes private, face-to-face interviews with a 
     multidisciplinary staff committee; and
       ``(iii) examines whether--

[[Page S2327]]

       ``(I) placement in solitary confinement was and remains 
     necessary;
       ``(II) the conditions of confinement comply with this 
     section; and
       ``(III) whether any exception under paragraph (2)(A), 
     (3)(D), (4)(A), (4)(B), (4)(C), (5)(A), or (5)(B) used to 
     justify placement in solitary confinement or under paragraph 
     (1) used to justify increased restrictive conditions in 
     solitary confinement was and remains warranted;

       ``(C) a process to appeal the initial placement or 
     continued placement of the inmate in solitary confinement;
       ``(D) prompt and timely written notice of the appeal 
     procedures; and
       ``(E) copies of all documents, files, and records relating 
     to the inmate's placement in solitary confinement, unless 
     such documents contain contraband, classified information, or 
     sensitive security-related information.
       ``(c) Mental Health Care for Inmates in Solitary 
     Confinement.--
       ``(1) Mental health screening.--Not later than 6 hours 
     after an inmate in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons or 
     any facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons to 
     provide housing for inmates in Federal custody is placed in 
     solitary confinement, the inmate shall receive a 
     comprehensive, face-to-face mental health evaluation by a 
     licensed mental health professional in a confidential 
     setting.
       ``(2) Mental health treatment program.--An inmate diagnosed 
     with a serious mental illness after an evaluation required 
     under paragraph (1)--
       ``(A) shall not be placed in solitary confinement in 
     accordance with subsection (b)(4); and
       ``(B) may be diverted to a mental health treatment program 
     within the Bureau of Prisons that provides an appropriate 
     level of care to address the inmate's mental health needs.
       ``(3) Continuing evaluations.--After each 14-calendar-day 
     period an inmate is held in continuous placement in solitary 
     confinement--
       ``(A) a licensed mental health professional shall conduct a 
     comprehensive, face-to-face, out-of-cell mental health 
     evaluation of the inmate in a confidential setting; and
       ``(B) the Director shall adjust the placement of the inmate 
     in accordance with this subsection.
       ``(4) Requirement.--The Director shall operate mental 
     health treatment programs in order to ensure that inmates of 
     all security levels with serious mental illness have access 
     to an appropriate level of care.
       ``(d) Training for Bureau of Prisons Staff.--
       ``(1) Training.--All employees of the Bureau of Prisons or 
     any facility that contracts with the Bureau of Prisons to 
     provide housing for inmates in Federal custody who interact 
     with inmates on a regular basis shall be required to complete 
     training in--
       ``(A) the recognition of symptoms of mental illness;
       ``(B) the potential risks and side effects of psychiatric 
     medications;
       ``(C) de-escalation techniques for safely managing 
     individuals with mental illness;
       ``(D) consequences of untreated mental illness;
       ``(E) the long- and short-term psychological effects of 
     solitary confinement; and
       ``(F) de-escalation and communication techniques to divert 
     inmates from situations that may lead to the inmate being 
     placed in solitary confinement.
       ``(2) Notification to medical staff.--An employee of the 
     Bureau of Prisons shall immediately notify a member of the 
     medical or mental health staff if the employee--
       ``(A) observes an inmate with signs of mental illness, 
     unless such employee has knowledge that the inmate's signs of 
     mental illness have previously been reported; or
       ``(B) observes an inmate with signs of mental health 
     crisis.
       ``(e) Civil Rights Ombudsman.--
       ``(1) In general.--Within the Bureau of Prisons, there 
     shall be a position of the Civil Rights Ombudsman (referred 
     to in this subsection as the `Ombudsman') and an Office of 
     the Civil Rights Ombudsman.
       ``(2) Appointment.--The Ombudsman shall be appointed by the 
     Attorney General and shall report directly to the Director. 
     The Ombudsman shall have a background in corrections and 
     civil rights and shall have expertise on the effects of 
     prolonged solitary confinement.
       ``(3) Reporting.--The Director shall ensure that each 
     Bureau of Prisons facility or any facility that contracts 
     with the Bureau of Prisons provides multiple internal ways 
     for inmates and others to promptly report civil rights 
     violations and violations of this section to the Ombudsman, 
     including--
       ``(A) not less than 2 procedures for inmates and others to 
     report civil rights violations and violations of this section 
     to an entity or office that is not part of the facility, and 
     that is able to receive and immediately forward inmate 
     reports to the Ombudsman, allowing the inmate to remain 
     anonymous upon request; and
       ``(B) not less than 2 procedures for inmates and others to 
     report civil rights abuses and violations of this section to 
     the Ombudsman in a confidential manner, allowing the inmate 
     to remain anonymous upon request.
       ``(4) Notice.--The Director shall ensure that each Bureau 
     of Prisons facility or any facility that contracts with the 
     Bureau of Prisons provides inmates with--
       ``(A) notice of how to report civil rights violations and 
     violations of this section in accordance with paragraph (3), 
     including--
       ``(i) notice prominently posted in the living and common 
     areas of each such facility;
       ``(ii) individual notice to inmates at initial intake into 
     the Bureau of Prisons, when transferred to a new facility, 
     and when placed in solitary confinement;
       ``(iii) notice to inmates with disabilities in accessible 
     formats; and
       ``(iv) written or verbal notice in a language the inmate 
     understands; and
       ``(B) notice of permissible practices related to solitary 
     confinement in the Bureau of Prisons, including the 
     requirements of this section.
       ``(5) Functions.--The Ombudsman shall--
       ``(A) review all complaints the Ombudsman receives;
       ``(B) investigate all complaints that allege a civil rights 
     violation or violation of this section;
       ``(C) refer all possible violations of law to the 
     Department of Justice;
       ``(D) refer to the Director allegations of misconduct 
     involving Bureau of Prisons staff;
       ``(E) identify areas in which the Bureau of Prisons can 
     improve the Bureau's policies and practices to ensure that 
     the civil rights of inmates are protected;
       ``(F) identify areas in which the Bureau of Prisons can 
     improve the solitary confinement policies and practices of 
     the Bureau and reduce the use of solitary confinement; and
       ``(G) propose changes to the policies and practices of the 
     Bureau of Prisons to mitigate problems and address issues the 
     Ombudsman identifies.
       ``(6) Access.--The Ombudsman shall have unrestricted access 
     to Bureau of Prisons facilities and any facility that 
     contracts with the Bureau of Prisons and shall be able to 
     speak privately with inmates and staff.
       ``(7) Annual reports.--
       ``(A) Objectives.--Not later than December 31 of each year, 
     the Ombudsman shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary 
     of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House 
     of Representatives a report on the activities of the Office 
     of the Ombudsman for the fiscal year ending in such calendar 
     year.
       ``(B) Contents.--Each report submitted under subparagraph 
     (A)--
       ``(i) contain full and substantive analysis, in addition to 
     statistical information;
       ``(ii) identify the recommendations the Office of the 
     Ombudsman has made on addressing reported civil rights 
     violations and violations of this section and reducing the 
     use and improving the practices of solitary confinement in 
     the Bureau of Prisons;
       ``(iii) contain a summary of problems relating to reported 
     civil rights violations and violations of this section, 
     including a detailed description of the nature of such 
     problems and a breakdown of where the problems occur among 
     Bureau of Prisons facilities and facilities that contract 
     with the Bureau of Prisons;
       ``(iv) contain an inventory of the items described in 
     clauses (ii) and (iii) for which action has been taken and 
     the result of such action;
       ``(v) contain an inventory of the items described in 
     clauses (ii) and (iii) for which action remains to be 
     completed and the period during which each item has remained 
     on such inventory;
       ``(vi) contain an inventory of the items described in 
     clauses (ii) and (iii) for which no action has been taken, 
     the period during which each item has remained on such 
     inventory, the reasons for the inaction, and shall identify 
     any official of the Bureau of Prisons who is responsible for 
     such inaction;
       ``(vii) contain recommendations for such legislative or 
     administrative action as may be appropriate to resolve 
     problems identified in clause (iii); and
       ``(viii) include such other information as the Ombudsman 
     determines necessary.
       ``(C) Submission of reports.--Each report required under 
     this paragraph shall be provided directly to the Committees 
     described in subparagraph (A) without any prior review, 
     comment, or amendment from the Director or any other officer 
     or employee of the Department of Justice or Bureau of 
     Prisons.
       ``(8) Regular meetings with the director of the bureau of 
     prisons.--The Ombudsman shall meet regularly with the 
     Director to identify problems with reported civil rights 
     violations and the solitary confinement policies and 
     practices of the Bureau of Prisons, including overuse of 
     solitary confinement, and to present recommendations for such 
     administrative action as may be appropriate to resolve 
     problems relating to reported civil rights violations and the 
     solitary confinement policies and practices of the Bureau of 
     Prisons.
       ``(9) Responsibilities of bureau of prisons.--The Director 
     shall establish procedures requiring that, not later than 3 
     months after the date on which a recommendation is submitted 
     to the Director by the Ombudsman, the Director or other 
     appropriate employee of the Bureau of Prisons issue a formal 
     response to the recommendation.
       ``(10) Non-application of the prison litigation reform 
     act.--Inmate reports sent to the Ombudsman shall not be 
     considered an administrative remedy under section 7(a) of the 
     Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1997e(a)).''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of 
     sections for chapter 303

[[Page S2328]]

     of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 4049 the following:

``4050. Solitary confinement.''.

     SEC. 3. REASSESSMENT OF INMATE MENTAL HEALTH.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall--
       (1) assemble a team of licensed mental health 
     professionals, which may include licensed mental health 
     professionals who are not employed by the Bureau of Prisons, 
     to conduct a comprehensive mental health reevaluation for 
     each inmate held in solitary confinement for more than 30 
     days as of the date of enactment of this Act, including a 
     confidential, face-to-face, out-of-cell interview by a 
     licensed mental health professional; and
       (2) adjust the placement of each inmate in accordance with 
     section 4050(c) of title 18, United States Code, as added by 
     section 2.

     SEC. 4. DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF PRISONS.

       Section 4041 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before the ``The 
     Bureau of Prisons shall be''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Ombudsman.--The Director of the Bureau of Prisons 
     shall--
       ``(1) meet regularly with the Ombudsman appointed under 
     section 4050(e) to identify how the Bureau of Prisons can 
     address reported civil rights violations and reduce the use 
     of solitary confinement and correct problems in the solitary 
     confinement policies and practices of the Bureau;
       ``(2) conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of each 
     referral from the Ombudsman under section 4050(e)(5)(D), 
     after each such investigation take appropriate disciplinary 
     action against any Bureau of Prisons employee who is found to 
     have engaged in misconduct or to have violated Bureau of 
     Prisons policy, and notify the Ombudsman of the outcome of 
     each such investigation; and
       ``(3) establish procedures requiring a formal response by 
     the Bureau of Prisons to any recommendation of the Ombudsman 
     in the annual report submitted under section 4050(e)(6) not 
     later than 90 days after the date on which the report is 
     submitted to Congress.''.

     SEC. 5. DATA TRACKING OF USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.

       Section 4047 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Prison Solitary Confinement Assessments.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than March 31 of each year, 
     the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall prepare and 
     transmit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and 
     the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives an annual assessment of the use of solitary 
     confinement by the Bureau of Prisons, as defined in section 
     4050(a).
       ``(2) Contents.--Each assessment submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall include--
       ``(A) the policies and regulations of the Bureau of 
     Prisons, including any changes in policies and regulations, 
     for determining which inmates are placed in each form of 
     solitary confinement, or housing in which an inmate is 
     separated from the general population in use during the 
     reporting period, and a detailed description of each form of 
     solitary confinement in use, including all maximum and high 
     security facilities, all special housing units, all special 
     management units, all Administrative Maximum facilities, 
     including the United States Penitentiary Administrative 
     Maximum in Florence, Colorado, and all Communication 
     Management Units;
       ``(B) the number of inmates in the custody of the Bureau of 
     Prisons who are housed in each type of solitary confinement 
     for any period and the percentage of all inmates who have 
     spent at least some time in each form of solitary confinement 
     during the reporting period;
       ``(C) the demographics of all inmates housed in each type 
     of solitary confinement described in subparagraph (A), 
     including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and gender;
       ``(D) the policies and regulations of the Bureau of 
     Prisons, including any updates in policies and regulations, 
     for subsequent reviews or appeals of the placement of an 
     inmate into or out of solitary confinement;
       ``(E) the number of reviews of and challenges to each type 
     of solitary confinement placement described in subparagraph 
     (A) conducted during the reporting period and the number of 
     reviews or appeals that directly resulted in a change of 
     placement;
       ``(F) the general conditions and restrictions for each type 
     of solitary confinement described in subparagraph (A), 
     including the number of hours spent in `isolation,' or 
     restraint, for each, and the percentage of time these 
     conditions involve single-inmate housing;
       ``(G) the mean and median length of stay in each form of 
     solitary confinement described in subparagraph (A), based on 
     all individuals released from solitary confinement during the 
     reporting period, including maximum and high security 
     facilities, special housing units, special management units, 
     the Administrative Maximum facilities, including the United 
     States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum in Florence, 
     Colorado, Communication Management Units, and any maximum 
     length of stay during the reporting period;
       ``(H) the number of inmates who, after a stay of 5 or more 
     days in solitary confinement, were released directly from 
     solitary confinement to the public during the reporting 
     period;
       ``(I) the cost for each form of solitary confinement 
     described in subparagraph (A) in use during the reporting 
     period, including as compared with the average daily cost of 
     housing an inmate in the general population;
       ``(J) statistics for inmate assaults on correctional 
     officers and staff of the Bureau of Prisons, inmate-on-inmate 
     assaults, and staff-on-inmate use of force incidents in the 
     various forms of solitary confinement described in 
     subparagraph (A) and statistics for such assaults in the 
     general population;
       ``(K) the policies for mental health screening, mental 
     health treatment, and subsequent mental health reviews for 
     all inmates, including any update to the policies, and any 
     additional screening, treatment, and monitoring for inmates 
     in solitary confinement;
       ``(L) a statement of the types of mental health staff that 
     conducted mental health assessments for the Bureau of Prisons 
     during the reporting period, a description of the different 
     positions in the mental health staff of the Bureau of 
     Prisons, and the number of part- and full-time psychologists 
     and psychiatrists employed by the Bureau of Prisons during 
     the reporting period;
       ``(M) data on mental health and medical indicators for all 
     inmates in solitary confinement, including--
       ``(i) the number of inmates requiring medication for mental 
     health conditions;
       ``(ii) the number diagnosed with an intellectual 
     disability;
       ``(iii) the number diagnosed with serious mental illness;
       ``(iv) the number of suicides;
       ``(v) the number of attempted suicides and number of 
     inmates placed on suicide watch;
       ``(vi) the number of instances of self-harm committed by 
     inmates;
       ``(vii) the number of inmates with physical disabilities, 
     including blind, deaf, and mobility-impaired inmates; and
       ``(viii) the number of instances of forced feeding of 
     inmates; and
       ``(N) any other relevant data.''.

     SEC. 6. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT 
                   REDUCTION AND REFORM.

       (a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the 
     term ``eligible entity'' means an entity, or a partnership of 
     entities, that has demonstrated expertise in the fields of--
       (1) solitary confinement, including the reduction and 
     reform of its use; and
       (2) providing technical assistance to corrections agencies 
     on how to reduce and reform solitary confinement.
       (b) Requirements.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Bureau of Justice Assistance 
     shall enter into a cooperative agreement, on a competitive 
     basis, with an eligible entity for the purpose of 
     establishing a coordinating center for State, local, and 
     Federal corrections systems, which shall conduct activities 
     such as--
       (1) provide on-site technical assistance and consultation 
     to Federal, State, and local corrections agencies to safely 
     reduce the use of solitary confinement;
       (2) act as a clearinghouse for research, data, and 
     information on the safe reduction of solitary confinement in 
     prisons and other custodial settings, including facilitating 
     the exchange of information between Federal, State, and local 
     practitioners, national experts, and researchers;
       (3) create a minimum of 10 learning sites in Federal, 
     State, and local jurisdictions that have already reduced 
     their use of solitary confinement and work with other 
     Federal, State, and local agencies to participate in 
     training, consultation, and other forms of assistance and 
     partnership with these learning sites;
       (4) conduct evaluations of jurisdictions that have 
     decreased their use of solitary confinement to determine best 
     practices;
       (5) conduct research on the effectiveness of alternatives 
     to solitary confinement, such as step-down or transitional 
     programs, strategies to reintegrate inmates into general 
     population, the role of officers and staff culture in reform 
     efforts, and other research relevant to the safe reduction of 
     solitary confinement;
       (6) develop and disseminate a toolkit for systems to reduce 
     the excessive use of solitary confinement;
       (7) develop and disseminate an online self-assessment tool 
     for State and local jurisdictions to assess their own use of 
     solitary confinement and identify strategies to reduce its 
     use; and
       (8) conduct public webinars to highlight new and promising 
     practices.
       (c) Administration.--The program under this section shall 
     be administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
       (d) Report.--On an annual basis, the coordinating center 
     shall report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate 
     and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives on its activities and any changes in solitary 
     confinement policy at the Federal, State, or local level that 
     have resulted from its activities.
       (e) Duration.--The Bureau of Justice Assistance shall enter 
     into a cooperative agreement under this section for 5 years.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated--
       (1) to the Director of the Bureau of Prisons such sums as 
     may be necessary to carry out sections 2, 3, 4, and 5, and 
     the amendments made by such sections; and

[[Page S2329]]

       (2) to the Bureau of Justice Assistance such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out section 6.

     SEC. 8. NOTICE AND COMMENT REQUIREMENT.

       The Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall prescribe 
     rules, in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United 
     States Code, to carry out this Act and the amendments made by 
     this Act.

     SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments 
     made by this Act shall take effect 18 months after the date 
     of enactment of this Act.

                          ____________________