# Environmental Health in Prisons Act Summary
This bill aims to improve environmental and health conditions for incarcerated people and prison staff by requiring comprehensive monitoring and reporting of environmental hazards at federal prisons and creating grant programs for state and local facilities. The legislation mandates that federal prison agencies collect and publicly release data on air quality, water quality, temperature, pest infestations, noise levels, and other environmental stressors within two years, with annual updates thereafter. Federal facilities must establish an independent advisory panel of public health experts and current and formerly incarcerated people to recommend improvements and mitigation strategies.
The bill requires prison officials to provide incarcerated people and staff with clear, accessible information about environmental health risks and available protective options upon intake and annually. It authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2025-2029 to conduct feasibility studies and implement environmental improvements at federal facilities, such as upgrading ventilation systems, improving water quality, and establishing food gardens. Additionally, the bill establishes a $50 million annual grant program through the Environmental Protection Agency to help state, local, and tribal governments make similar environmental health improvements, with at least 15 percent directed toward tribal facilities.
The legislation also strengthens protections for incarcerated people and staff by prohibiting retaliation against those who report environmental health problems and allowing them to sue the government for violations. It requires agencies to consider environmental justice impacts in environmental reviews for new federal prison construction and to provide incarcerated people opportunities to comment on major facility decisions.
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