“A bill to require the Bureau of Prisons to submit to Congress an annual summary report of disaster damage, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines "major disaster" for purposes of this Act to mean either (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, extreme weather, or public health emergency event that (A) causes physical damage to a Bureau of Prisons facility or contract prison or disrupts services described in paragraphs (2), (4), (5), or (6) of section 3(a); and (B) the Bureau of Prisons determines to be a major disaster.
This section requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to submit an annual summary report to specified Senate and House committees, the Government Accountability Office, and the Department of Justice Inspector General detailing physical damage from major disasters to Bureau of Prisons facilities and contract prisons, including effects on inmates and staff in 11 specified areas (e.g., injuries and deaths; access to medical care, food, water, hygiene products, and personal protective equipment; early release or home confinement decisions and justifications; visitation access; disability accommodations; educational and work programs; grievances; damage costs and repair estimates; and impacts on staffing, equipment, and resources). The report must include (1) a corrective action plan with timeline to improve and modernize emergency preparedness for natural disasters, extreme weather, and public health emergencies; and (2) specific legislative recommendations to Congress for enhancing such plans. Not later than 90 days after enactment, the Director must appoint a Bureau official responsible for implementing the corrective action plan.
This section (1) increases the number of appointed members of the National Institute of Corrections Advisory Board to 14 (from 10) by adding four new positions—(A) one who has served a sentence in a federal or state correctional facility or has a professional background advocating on behalf of formerly incarcerated or incarcerated individuals, (B) one with a background as an emergency response coordinator who has created an emergency management accreditation program, (C) one with an educational and professional background in public health working with communicable diseases, and (D) one representing the labor union for Bureau of Prisons employees—resulting in a total Board membership of 20 (from 16); and (2) directs the National Institute of Corrections to conduct at least one public field hearing not later than one year after enactment on how correctional facilities can incorporate into their emergency preparedness plans and recovery efforts inmate access to medical care, food, drinkable water, personal protective equipment, and hygiene products; staff consideration of home confinement or early release; cost-free and uninterrupted visitation with legal counsel and visitors (with standards for suspension); accommodations for inmates with disabilities; federal funding to restore disaster-damaged facilities; and risk management best practices from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, and Government Accountability Office.