Committee advances "Andy's Law" after hours of staff testimony on prison violence and drugs

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to favorably report House Bill 338, commonly called "Andy's Law," after extensive testimony from corrections officers, nurses and union representatives about rising violence and drug activity inside state correctional institutions.

Supporters told the committee the bill is intended to strengthen protections for Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC) staff, increase penalties for in-prison assaults and limit the flow of illicit drugs into facilities. "We at RCI have not been the same since," said Caitlin Newman, a corrections officer who told the panel she responded to the Christmas-day assault that killed Officer Andy Lansing and described repeated, severe attacks on staff. "When an offender commits a violent crime in prison, they shouldn't be given a tablet."

The bill's backers described a package of measures including mandatory consecutive sentences for certain assaults on staff, additional screening and training, the use of drug-detection canines in each DRC facility, stricter visitor entry procedures and restrictions on contact visits at higher-security prisons. William Kochenour, a sergeant who has worked at RCI, told the committee the bill "focuses on the safety of DRC staff and inmates alike" and said the reforms would help halt a pattern of drug-related harm and violence.

Union representatives and frontline staff emphasized the need for implementation funding and consistent prosecution. "This bill provides some important tools," said Jeff Davies, a union representative for SEIU District 1199, but he added the state's sentencing changes will be "meaningless if cases are not prosecuted." SEIU witnesses and institutional staff urged the legislature to pair statutory changes with additional funding and management follow-through so penalties can be enforced and staffing and behavioral-health gaps addressed.

Lawmakers debated and rejected a series of amendments before reporting the bill. One amendment (1510) that would have added roughly $51 million in fiscal year 2026 and $75 million in fiscal year 2027 to DRC appropriations was moved but laid on the table after the committee voted to table it, with proponents citing broader budget constraints. Another motion to remove juvenile-related provisions and references to the Department of Youth Services was also tabled.

Committee leaders indicated an expedited timetable: the vice chair said the committee aimed to get the bill to the House floor the same day, citing a procedural deadline. The committee voted to favorably report HB 338 to the Committee on Rules and Reference; the clerk recorded the roll call and the bill moved forward.

Supporters framed the bill as a response to a pattern of unprosecuted in-prison assaults and increased trafficking of fentanyl-related and other substances inside facilities. Several witnesses described how tablets and other devices were jailbroken and used to coordinate outside criminal activity and to threaten staff safety; they urged device restrictions for inmates who commit violent acts.

Opponents at earlier hearings and in written testimony have raised concerns about overlap with collective-bargaining remedies, resource needs for mental-health care and whether expanding mandatory sentences alone will address root causes of prison violence. Committee discussion reflected those tensions: multiple speakers urged simultaneous investments in staffing, classification systems and prevention so that statutory penalties yield real safety improvements.

The committee will transmit its favorable report to the Committee on Rules and Reference for possible floor consideration. The committee also converted remaining in-person testimony to written-only to meet a floor deadline later the same day.