[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1098-S1099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4401. Ms. DUCKWORTH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory
Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes; which was ordered to
lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. _ _____. CORRECTIONAL FACILITY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act of 2026''.
(b) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``major
disaster'' means--
(1) a major disaster declared by the President under
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170); or
(2) any natural disaster or extreme weather or public
health emergency event that--
(A)(i) causes physical damage to a Bureau of Prisons
facility or contract prison; or
(ii) disrupts services described in paragraph (2), (4),
(5), or (6) of section 3(a); and
(B) the Bureau of Prisons determines is a major disaster.
(c) Bureau of Prisons Annual Summary Report of Disaster
Damage.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the Bureau of Prisons
shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations, the
Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on the Judiciary,
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives, the Government Accountability Office, and
the Inspector General of the Department of Justice an annual
summary report of disaster damage on the scope of physical
damage from a major disaster by each Bureau of Prisons
facility and its contract prisons impacted or struck by a
major disaster that explains the effects of the damage on
inmates and staff, including--
(A) data on injury and loss of life of inmates and staff;
(B) access to health and medical care, food, special
dietary needs, drinkable water, personal protective
equipment, and personal hygiene products;
(C) guidance used to adjudicate early release or home
confinement requests, data on early release or home
confinement approvals, denials, and justification for
denials;
(D) an explanation as to whether using home confinement or
early release was considered;
(E) access to cost-free and uninterrupted visitation with
legal counsel and visitors with justifications for facility
decisions that resulted in suspended or altered visitations;
(F) access to appropriate accommodations for inmates with
disabilities;
(G) access to educational and work programs;
(H) inmate grievances;
(I) assessment of the cost of the damage to the facility
and estimates for repairs;
(J) the impact on staffing, equipment, and financial
resources; and
(K) other factors relating to the ability of the Bureau of
Prisons and any existing contract prison to uphold the
health, safety, and civil rights of the correctional
population.
(2) Corrective action plan.--The report required under
paragraph (1) shall include agency corrective actions that
the Bureau of Prisons will take to improve and modernize
emergency preparedness plans, as they relate to natural
disasters, extreme weather, and
[[Page S1099]]
public health emergencies and a timeline to implement the
corrective action plan.
(3) Recommendations.--The report required under paragraph
(1) shall include specific legislative recommendations to
Congress for improving emergency preparedness plans within
the Bureau of Prisons.
(4) Appointment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons
shall appoint an official of the Bureau of Prisons
responsible for carrying out the corrective action plan.
(d) National Institute of Corrections.--Section 4351 of
title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``ten'' and inserting ``14''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) One shall have served a sentence in either a Federal
or State correctional facility or have a professional
background advocating on the behalf of formerly incarcerated
or incarcerated individuals.
``(4) One shall have a background as an emergency response
coordinator that has created an emergency management
accreditation program.
``(5) One shall have an educational and professional
background in public health working with communicable
diseases.
``(6) One shall represent the labor union that represents
Bureau of Prisons employees.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Field Hearing.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this subsection, the National Institute of
Corrections shall conduct at least one public field hearing
on how correctional facilities can incorporate in their
emergency preparedness plans and recovery efforts--
``(1) inmate access to medical care, food, drinkable water,
personal protective equipment, and personal hygiene products;
``(2) consideration by staff of using home confinement or
early release;
``(3) inmate access to cost-free and uninterrupted
visitation with legal counsel and visitors with clear
standards for when facilities may suspend or alter
visitations;
``(4) inmate access to appropriate accommodations for
inmates with disabilities;
``(5) use of Federal funding to restore disaster-damaged
correctional facilities; and
``(6) incorporation by staff of risk management best
practices, such as those made available under the relevant
agencies of the Federal Emergency Management Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services, and the Government
Accountability Office to enhance emergency preparedness
plans.''.
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