2026 Prison Visitation Bill
HB173 State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report.
Introduced by: Bonita G. Anthony (Chief Patron, By Request) [D]
View the bill here.
Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for (i) long-distance visitors who reside at least 150 miles from the correctional facility, (ii) minor visitors younger than 18 years of age, and (iii) infrequent visitors who have not completed an in-person visit to a correctional facility within 90 days prior to the day of their visit. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual. The bill requires the Department to implement pilot programs utilizing these visitation standards in no fewer than three state correctional facilities representing different security levels to evaluate operational, staffing, and safety impacts before statewide implementation. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill requires the Department to collect and publish data in an annual report to the General Assembly.
1/6/2026 House. Referred to Committee on H-Public Safety
1/16/2026 House. Assigned H-MPPS sub: H-MPPS Public Safety subcommittee #2
1/29/2026 House-PS #2 subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5‑Y 2‑N)
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HB296 State correctional facilities; visitation policies, report.
Introduced by: Holly M. Seibold (Chief Patron) [D]
View the bill here.
Requires the Department of Corrections to establish and publicly post on its website and in the lobby of each state correctional facility an objective dress code for individuals visiting a state correctional facility and specifies certain requirements for and limitations on what such dress code may include. The bill prohibits any state correctional facility from enforcing a dress code that is more restrictive than the dress code posted by the Department.
The bill also prohibits any individual from being denied in-person visitation unless such individual is in clear violation of visitation rules or policies. Prior to denying entry to a visitor, the bill requires the reasoning to be (i) reviewed in person by the facility administrative duty officer and (ii) approved by a regional administrator or superior. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually on or before November 1 to the General Assembly and the Governor with information on visitors denied entry to state correctional facilities, including the following information disaggregated by facility and by month: (a) the number of visitors denied entry and (b) the reasoning for such denials, including the specific rules or policies such visitors were alleged to have violated.
The bill requires the Department to convene a work group consisting of relevant stakeholders to consider goals and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations related to facilitating visitation within state correctional facilities.1/16/2026 House. Assigned H-MPPS sub: H-
1/9/2026 House. Referred to Committee on H-Public Safety
1/16/2026 Assigned House-PS sub: Subcommittee #2
1/22/2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB296)
1/29/2026 House-PS Subcommittee #2 recommends reporting (7‑Y 0‑N)
1/30/2026 Reported from H-Public Safety committee (21‑Y 0‑N)
HB1246 State correctional facilities; visitation privileges; Visitation Enhancement Program established.
Introduced by: Jackie H. Glass (Chief Patron) [D]
View the bill here.
State correctional facilities; visitation privileges; Visitation Enhancement Program established. Establishes the Visitation Enhancement Program (the Program) and requires all state correctional facilities to participate in the Program and provide visitation privileges to inmates in accordance with the standards specified in the bill. The bill provides that all inmates in state correctional facilities shall be classified within one of three phases of the Program, which shall be based on the class level at which the inmate earns good time such as good conduct time, good conduct allowances, or earned sentence credits. The bill specifies certain enhanced visitation privileges permitted for each of the three phases of the Program.
The bill also requires visitors be permitted to visit an inmate for at least two hours prior to a visit being terminated due to capacity issues and provides that if the visitation area is at maximum capacity, state correctional facility staff shall ask visitors, on a voluntary basis, to end their visit. The bill states that if a sufficient number of visitors fail to volunteer, staff shall terminate visits, beginning with the first visitors processed, until the required seating or space is available for incoming visitors.
1/14/2026 Referred to Committee on House-Public Safety
1/23/2026 Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2
1/29/2026 House-PS #2 subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5‑Y 2‑N)
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