What's happening
This bill requires the Department of Corrections to evaluate and, if feasible, implement sustainable cooling solutions in prisons.
Why it matters
Requires the Department of Corrections to formally study both the financial and operational practicality of installing permanent, sustainable cooling systems in every prison facility. raising the standard from temporary or stopgap heat relief measures to potentially transformative infrastructure.
Mandates that, if such sustainable cooling solutions are found feasible, the Department must establish a clear implementation timeline. meaning that findings can quickly translate from recommendations into concrete action and facility upgrades.
Expands the annual heat mitigation plan to specifically address the needs of medically vulnerable individuals and staff, and clarifies that shade on exercise yards must be balanced with security,. highlighting both health equity and operational safety concerns.
Signals a shift in correctional facility policy from short-term heat relief (like industrial fans and ice) to considering long-term, environmentally responsible solutions. potentially improving health, safety, and humane conditions for both staff and incarcerated people during periods of extreme heat.
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Who cares
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
The commissioner would evaluate the financial and operational feasibility of cooling stations and permanent sustainable cooling at each facility, rather than develop a timeline for cooling stations and provide evaporative fans.
Incarcerated individuals
The bill would condition exercise-yard shade on facility safety and security protocols and require an implementation timeline upon a finding that permanent sustainable cooling is feasible in each facility.
Correctional facility staff
Staff covered by the annual heat mitigation plan would have a stake in the feasibility review of cooling stations and permanent sustainable cooling at their facilities.
Headline styles
Keep Prisons Cool and Safe
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Signed chap.63
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- 3rd reading cal.38
- Substituted for S764
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.54
- Rules report cal.54
- Reported
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to correction
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Cooler Prisons in Summer
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Pete Harckham
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1676
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. BURDICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to the commissioner of corrections and community supervision's heat mitigation plan for correctional facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 112 of the correction law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the correction law relating to establishing an annual heat mitigation plan; and directing the extreme heat action plan work group of the department of environmental conservation to analyze the impact of extreme heat on incarcerated individuals and people working in prisons, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7781-A and A. 9169-A, is amended to read as follows:
6. (a) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to establish and maintain an annual heat mitigation plan to ensure incarcerated individuals and correctional facility staff have options available to stay cool, hydrated and safe during high heat temperatures. Such plan shall include, to the extent possible:
(i) access to industrial fans, water, ice, and additional access to showers;
(ii) commissaries fully stocked with personal fans prior to the beginning of summer;
(iii) monitoring temperatures in housing, program and industry areas;
(iv) maintaining a list of incarcerated individuals and correctional facility staff [with] who have medical conditions that make them more susceptible to heat and monitor their well-being;
(v) increased rounds and wellness checks; and
(vi) providing shade on exercise yards if consistent with the facility's safety and security protocols.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02905-01-5
(b) The commissioner, as part of such heat mitigation plan, shall [develop a timeline to establish] evaluate the financial and operational feasibility of establishing cooling stations [and provide evaporative fans to] and a permanent sustainable cooling solution at each facility, provided that upon a determination or finding that a permanent sustainable cooling solution is feasible in each facility, the commissioner shall develop a timeline to implement the findings of such evaluation.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the correction law relating to establishing an annual heat mitigation plan; and directing the extreme heat action plan work group of the department of environmental conservation to analyze the impact of extreme heat on incarcerated individuals and people working in prisons, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7781-A and A. 9169-A, takes effect.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.