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Committee advances bill requiring pregnancy screening in jails, adds county reporting and advisory-board seats
Summary
The committee passed HB326 (second substitute as amended), which would require jails to offer pregnancy tests to detainees held more than 72 hours, add local reporting of pregnant inmates and inmate-parents to CCJJ, and extend the advisory board overseeing correctional postnatal policy to 2027.
Representative Perucci presented HB326 (second substitute) as a follow-up to work by the Correctional Postnatal and Early Childhood Advisory Board. He said the substitute incorporates stakeholder feedback and adds two members to the advisory board: a prosecutor and a defense representative.
The sponsor told the committee the second substitute requires county jails to offer pregnancy tests to people who will be detained longer than 72 hours, mirroring Department of Corrections practice. The stated purpose is clinical and safety-related: identifying pregnancies quickly can reduce exposure to potentially harmful procedures or equipment and improve access to prenatal care.
The bill also requires county jails to report to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) the number of known pregnant inmates in custody and the number of inmates who are parents to a minor child. Representative Perucci said that data does not currently exist and would inform policy and diversion planning.
The substitute extends the board’s repeal date to 2027 and narrows some earlier proposals after stakeholder concerns. Representative Perucci said he removed language tied to sentencing requirements after conversations with stakeholders and added seats to ensure balance on the advisory board.
Representative Hollins moved to adopt the second substitute and an amendment requested by sheriffs to address operational concerns. The committee adopted the substitute, approved the amendment, and then voted to pass HB326 (second substitute as amended) with a favorable recommendation.
The record shows no public testimony in the hearing and the sponsor said he would welcome further work on diversion recommendations from the advisory board.
