Sign Up
HB 7186 Connecticut House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM CONCERNING THE USE OF BODY SCANNING MACHINES IN CERTAIN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND REQUIRING REPORTS CONCERNING STRIP AND CAVITY SEARCHES IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

HB 7186 establishes a pilot program requiring two body scanning machines to be installed at York Correctional Institution and John R. Manson Youth Institution by December 2025. The bill mandates that correctional staff use these machines instead of strip or cavity searches when typically performed, prioritizing their use for inspecting incarcerated individuals. It requires the Commissioner of Correction to submit multiple reports: an initial evaluation of current search procedures by February 2026, a detailed pilot program report by February 2027 (including scan data, search numbers, and contraband findings), and annual reports starting January 2026 on strip/cavity search practices. The bill directly affects incarcerated people at these two facilities and correctional staff, with no changes to existing search protocols beyond the pilot's scope.
Issues: ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReplaces invasive strip/cavity searches with body scanners, reducing potential rights violations and promoting dignity in correctional facilities per bill's mandate.90% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 6, 2025 Last action May 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → GOS Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was converted from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Joint Favorable Substitute' version, meaning it was approved by the General Assembly's legislative committees with minor technical edits. The core policy remains the same: requiring the Department of Correction to purchase body scanning machines, run a pilot program to reduce strip and cavity searches, and submit detailed reports on search practices and contraband discovery.
TIMELINE

The pilot program procurement deadline was moved from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2025, allowing the Department of Correction to purchase and install the machines sooner.

REQUIREMENT

A new Section 3 authorizes the State Bond Commission to issue up to $500,000 in bonds specifically to fund the purchase, installation, and training related to the body scanning machines.

The reporting requirements were expanded to include monthly data on body scans, strip/cavity searches, and contraband discoveries for the 2026 calendar year, along with a comparison of current search policies to other northeastern states and federal policies.

TECHNICAL

Minor technical edits were made for consistency, such as changing 'body scanner' to 'body scanning' and 'broken out' to 'disaggregated' in the reporting language.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
3
Committee
4
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
REF. BY HOUSE TO COMMITTEE ON Finance, Revenue and Bonding
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Oversight
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.