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Federal Prison Oversight Act

Public Law 118-71 · H.R. 3019 · 118th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Jul 25, 2024 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA-7)

Cosponsors (39): Rep. Kelly Armstrong,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 392 yea, 2 nay392–2
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act establishes an inspections regime for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General must conduct risk-based evaluations of BOP facilities.

An inspection of a facility may be announced or unannounced. Higher risk facilities must receive more frequent inspections.

The bill (1) provides for the establishment in DOJ of an ombudsman who may receive complaints, make inquiries and recommend actions, and decline to investigate or take action, as specified; and (2) prohibits BOP retaliation against any person or entity that has instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding, investigation, or inspection under this act.

The ombudsman shall coordinate with the BOP to educate incarcerated people, their representatives, and the public about the existence and functions of the ombudsman.

This act becomes effective 90 days after appropriations are made available to DOJ and the DOJ Office of Inspector General for the specific purpose of carrying out this act. On and after such effective date, BOP must ensure that non-custody correctional employees spend 90% of their work week in their primary positions.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 118th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 392 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

392 yea2 nay35 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(196)

Republicans who voted yea(196)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 938 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3019Identical bill

    Federal Prison Oversight Act

  • S. 1401Identical bill

    Federal Prison Oversight Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Jul 25, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-71.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jul 23, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Jul 12, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Jul 10, 2024FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  7. May 22, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  8. May 21, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 392 - 2 (Roll no. 220).House roll call 220
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3019.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Ms. Mace moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  15. Apr 10, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 41 - 1.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  17. Apr 28, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.