Subcommittee advances bill curbing isolated confinement after state corrections office flags $3.7 million cost

The Transportation Public Safety Subcommittee on Thursday voted 5-2 to report House Bill 35, a measure that would largely prohibit isolated confinement except for narrowly specified exceptions and impose new requirements and limits on its use.

David, the committee analyst, told members the bill would require timely mental-health and medical examinations for anyone placed in isolated confinement and that the Department of Corrections estimated it would cost $3.7 million a year and require 36 new positions to comply.

Supporters said the changes aim to reduce harm to people placed in restrictive conditions and ensure timely clinical oversight. Opponents questioned the fiscal and operational impact on corrections facilities. The committee adopted the bill as amended and voted to report it to the next committee with a 5-2 tally.

The bill’s core provisions remove or sharply limit routine use of isolated confinement while preserving narrowly defined exceptions; it also adds procedural safeguards including prompt examinations by medical and mental-health staff when isolation is used. The committee did not record a floor-ready fiscal amendment beyond the DOC estimate during the hearing.

Advocates argued the measures will improve oversight and reduce the health risks associated with prolonged isolation; members who voted against the report cited concerns about staffing, recurring costs, and how local facilities would operationalize the requirements.

The subcommittee’s action sends the amended bill forward for further consideration. If enacted, the measure would require agencies to secure the resources identified by DOC or seek alternate compliance plans during later stages of the budget and legislative process.