Environmental Health in Prisons Act

The Environmental Health in Prisons Act requires Federal, State, local, and Tribal carceral facilities to monitor and publicly report on environmental conditions including air quality, water safety, temperature, and exposure to hazardous materials. It establishes an advisory panel of public health experts and formerly incarcerated people to recommend environmental health improvements, mandates that facilities communicate environmental health information to incarcerated people and staff, and creates grant programs to fund infrastructure upgrades and programs that improve environmental health conditions. The bill prohibits facilities from penalizing people who request environmental health information or report concerns, directly affecting approximately 2 million incarcerated people and staff across the U.S. correctional system.