Criminal Justice (Emergency Management)

The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act of 2026 requires the Bureau of Prisons to annually report on the impacts of major disasters (like natural disasters or public health emergencies) at federal correctional facilities and contract prisons. The report must detail effects on inmate/staff safety, access to medical care, food, water, visitation, disability accommodations, and financial costs, along with a corrective action plan for improving emergency preparedness. It also mandates the National Institute of Corrections to hold a public hearing within one year to evaluate how facilities can better incorporate specific emergency planning measures - such as medical access, early release considerations, and visitation protocols - into their disaster response. This legislation directly affects federal prisons, contract facilities, and the 150,000+ inmates and staff within them, aiming to standardize transparency and response protocols during crises.

S 3664, the Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act of 2026, requires federal prisons and contracted facilities to submit annual reports after major disasters (like natural events or public health emergencies) detailing impacts on inmates and staff. The reports must include specific data on injuries, access to medical care, food, water, early release decisions, visitation rights, disability accommodations, and facility repair costs. The Bureau of Prisons must also develop a corrective action plan with a timeline to improve emergency preparedness and provide legislative recommendations to Congress. Additionally, the bill amends the National Institute of Corrections to add new expertise requirements for its board members and mandates public hearings on integrating disaster planning into facility operations.

This bill (HJRES 115) terminates a presidential emergency declaration made on August 11, 2025, which claimed a "crime emergency" in Washington, D.C. It directly affects the District of Columbia by ending federal restrictions that prevented D.C. from using $1 billion in locally-raised funds for public safety, law enforcement, fire services, and schools. The resolution cites that the emergency declaration was legally flawed - section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act does not permit federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department - and notes that D.C. violent crime has reached a 30-year low. The bill formally ends the emergency under the DC Home Rule Act, restoring D.C.'s authority over its own budget and public safety resources.

This bill repeals a provision allowing the President to assume emergency control of the District of Columbia's police force. It directly affects the District of Columbia government and its police department by removing the federal override power during emergencies. The key mechanism is eliminating Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which previously permitted the President to take temporary control of DC police operations. The change shifts full emergency management authority over police to local DC leadership. This is a procedural adjustment to the existing Home Rule framework.