The House Judiciary Committee voted to send House Resolution 36 to the floor, directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the quality of library services in state correctional institutions and report findings and recommendations within one year.

Committee counsel described the measure: "Mister chairman, house resolution 36 directs the joint state government commission to conduct a study on the quality of carceral libraries in the Commonwealth. The findings and recommendations are due to the house of representatives within 1 year of the adoption of the resolution. There are no amendments."

Representative Bonner asked whether librarians who oversee correctional libraries are regional or institutional and whether the governor had weighed in on the request. Counsel responded: "Mister chairman, the administration has not weighed in on it because it's a resolution. We expect once we adopt the resolution, if it's taken up on the floor, that's when the action will start to happen. As it relates to the librarians, we're not quite sure about that. That's why we wanna that's why we want the study."

Other members asked for clearer definitions of "quality" and whether correctional libraries must be overseen by credentialed librarians with master's degrees. Counsel and proponents said the study is intended to answer those questions.

Why it matters: Committee members said a study would clarify policies, catalog availability, oversight and whether correctional library services meet standards applied to public libraries. The study's findings will inform future legislative or administrative changes.

Next steps: The committee reported the resolution as committed; counsel recorded the one‑year deadline for the Joint State Government Commission's report.