# 118-hr-3019: Federal Prison Oversight Act

118-hr-3019, Federal Prison Oversight Act, is a 118th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6] (D-GA); status became_law (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hr-3019
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 118-hr-3019
- Congress: 118
- Title: Federal Prison Oversight Act
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2023-04-28
- Sponsor: Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6] (D-GA)
- Cosponsors: 39
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**Inspector General–led inspections** of Bureau of Prisons facilities paired with a new Department of Justice Ombudsman expand independent oversight of prison conditions, staffing, and complaint handling across federal prisons. - Incarcerated people and families: The IG can interview people in custody, review records, and inspect living areas and care. IG reports must be issued within six months and the Bureau must publish a corrective action plan within 60 days. - Staff and workplace protections: Inspections cover staff working conditions, staffing levels, medical and mental health services, and handling of violence or deaths. The Ombudsman can receive complaints, investigate retaliation, and monitor disciplinary actions, confirming receipt within five business days and deciding whether to act within 15 business days. - Oversight and transparency: The law requires a risk-based inspection score and schedule delivered within 18 months. The IG gets broad record-review rights with 30-business-day production timelines and public posting of Bureau responses.

## Cosponsors (39)

- Rep. Armstrong, Kelly [R-ND-At Large] (R-ND), 2023-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Trone, David J. [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2023-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5] (R-FL), 2023-05-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2023-05-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15] (R-FL), 2023-05-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2023-05-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Phillips, Dean [D-MN-3] (D-MN), 2023-07-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2023-07-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2023-07-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2023-07-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] (D-TX), 2023-07-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2023-07-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC), 2023-07-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2023-09-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] (D-AL), 2023-09-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2023-09-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI), 2023-09-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2023-09-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC), 2023-09-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2023-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1] (R-WV), 2023-11-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19] (R-FL), 2023-11-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mooney, Alexander X. [R-WV-2] (R-WV), 2023-12-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA), 2023-12-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC), 2024-01-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11] (R-GA), 2024-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2024-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2024-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Reschenthaler, Guy [R-PA-14] (R-PA), 2024-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI), 2024-03-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] (R-WA), 2024-05-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2024-05-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA), 2024-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2024-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2024-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Porter, Katie [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2024-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] (R-AZ), 2024-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2024-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10] (D-CA), 2024-05-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2024-05-21T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed | 392 | 2 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Justice Department ombudsman for prison complaints: benefit, low. The Justice Department establishes an ombudsman within 1 year to take prison complaints. Incarcerated people, families, staff, judges, and Members of Congress can file by secure online form or hotline, with internal and outside channels for incarcerated people. The ombudsman confirms receipt in 5 b…
- Stronger prison inspections and reports: benefit, low. The Inspector General inspects Bureau-run prisons on a risk-based schedule. Within 18 months, the IG delivers a risk-scoring method to Congress, and higher-risk prisons get more frequent inspections. The IG publishes reports within 6 months after inspections, and the Bureau must post a corrective p…

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## Sources
- [118-hr-3019 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3019)

## Related
- [118-hr-2670: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hr-2670)
- [118-hres-771: Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hres-771)
- [118-hr-1015: Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hr-1015)
- [118-hr-5009: Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Ac…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hr-5009)
- [118-hr-807: Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hr-807)
- [118-hres-768: Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hres-768)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/118-hr-3019 (as of 2026-01-05).