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119-hr-9591119th Congress
Extreme Temperatures Injustice in Prisons Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12]
Introduced
Summary
Would require the Bureau of Prisons to install or update HVAC systems and place temperature sensors in every occupied space to protect inmates and staff from extreme heat and cold.
Show full summary
- People who are incarcerated and medically vulnerable: Would get mandatory written standards for heat stress and cold stress that cover work, recreation, and confinement. The CDC would study health effects and help finalize protections for vulnerable groups within 1 year.
- BOP staff and workers: Would be protected by adopting wet-bulb globe temperature NIOSH exposure and alert limits and by required seasonal training plus electronic recordkeeping to spot heat-related illness.
- Operations, reporting, and oversight: Would require HVAC upgrades and temperature devices across all BOP facilities within 5 years, with cost and progress reports every 2 years, illness reports annually, Department of Justice Inspector General inspections and public reports, and authorization of funding for fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Free heat and cold items for inmates
This bill would require the Bureau of Prisons Director to provide heat- and cold-mitigation items at no cost and outside the commissary when internal temperatures reach levels the Director deems dangerously high or low. Items must be available on request and in sufficient supply. Examples listed include cold-water bottles, cooling fans, cooling towels, winter clothing, and blankets.
Funding for prison heating and cooling
This bill would authorize "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to install or update heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in all federal prisons. It would also require the Bureau of Prisons Director to install temperature-reading devices in every space where people are present, including cells and shared areas, and finish that work within five years of enactment. Until devices are installed across a facility, the Director would have to regularly test and monitor temperatures in those spaces. Congress would still need to approve yearly appropriations for the work.
Inspector General annual prison inspections
This bill would require the Department of Justice Inspector General to inspect every temperature-reading device and HVAC system in Bureau of Prisons facilities each year. The IG would also track heat- and cold-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths and review mitigations. The IG must publish an annual report with those findings starting after enactment.
New temperature health rules for prisons
This bill would direct the CDC to study how extreme temperatures affect people in Bureau of Prisons facilities and to develop recommendations. It would also require the Bureau of Prisons Director to write and enforce mandatory standards on heat and cold stress for all BOP institutions. The Director would finalize rules to protect medically vulnerable people within one year and align those rules with CDC clinical guidance.
Staff training and heat-safety limits
This bill would require the Bureau of Prisons to create an electronic system that tracks seasonal winter mitigation training and helps identify signs of heat-related illness among staff. It would also require the Director, within one year, to use wet-bulb globe temperature–based NIOSH exposure and alert limits so humidity is factored into staff heat protections. The rules apply to occupational safety practices for BOP personnel.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12]
NC • D
Cosponsors
Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/6/2026
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
FL • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30]
TX • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/9/2026
Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]
IN • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]
NC • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Mejia, Analilia [D-NJ-11]
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1]
IL • D
Sponsored 8/10/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov