Federal Correctional Facilities COVID–19 Response Act

Federal Correctional Facilities COVID-19 Response Act

This bill establishes requirements to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19 in federal correctional facilities (e.g., prisons).

Among the requirements, correctional facilities must do the following:

• conduct weekly COVID-19 tests and offer vaccinations for incarcerated individuals and employees;
• submit weekly reports to the Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state public health authorities on COVID-19 cases, vaccinations, and outcomes; and
• report outbreaks to the CDC, which must deploy staff to prevent and mitigate the spread.

Finally, the bill requires the Bureau of Prisons, in consultation with the CDC, to update its guidelines on managing COVID-19 in correctional facilities.