# 119-hr-2879: Prison Staffing Reform Act of 2025

119-hr-2879, Prison Staffing Reform Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA); status introduced (as of 2026-09-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2879
- As of: 2026-09-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-2879
- Congress: 119
- Title: Prison Staffing Reform Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-04-10
- Sponsor: Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-30

## Summary

**Cut federal prison understaffing and forced overtime.** This bill would require an independent external review and a detailed staffing plan with numeric staffing guidelines, recruitment steps, and timelines to address shortages. - Families and people in custody: Would aim to reduce waiting lists and improve access to medical care, substance use disorder and mental health treatment, educational programming, and protections against violence and sexual misconduct. - Correctional staff and unions: Would require a recruitment and vacancy-filling plan to reduce mandated overtime and misuse of augmentation and to set the number of officers and non‑custody staff needed per person in custody by shift. - Bureau operations and oversight: Would mandate a non‑BOP review to be submitted within 180 days, include consultation with AFGE Council C-33 and outside experts, require a 3‑year implementation deadline after the plan and a cost projection, and call for annual progress reports.

## Cosponsors (7)

- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2025-08-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA), 2025-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ), 2026-03-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Independent review of federal prison staffing: benefit, low. Within 180 days, the BOP Director would hire an outside group to review staffing and how shortages harm people. They would consult the prison union (Council of Prison Locals C‑33), civil rights groups, and reentry and treatment groups. The review would include an independent check of medical care q…
- Three-year plan to fix prison staffing: benefit, low. Within 180 days, the Director would send Congress and the prison union a staffing plan. The plan would recruit and hire, fill vacancies, cut forced overtime and misuse of augmentation, and strengthen staffing. It would set staffing guidelines: officers per person in custody by unit, and teachers, c…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-2879 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2879)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4382)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2879 (as of 2026-09-30).