Committee reviews updated H.550 draft on gender‑identity rules for DOC; removes narrow volunteer ban for further policy work

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee spent its March 11 session line‑by‑line through draft 2.1 of H.550, the bill that would direct the Department of Corrections to treat people in its custody consistent with their gender identity, clarify nondiscrimination limits on placement decisions, and require targeted training for staff, contractors and volunteers.

Legislative counsel Hillary Cheddar, reading the committee draft, told members that the bill "reflects changes discussed during yesterday's testimony and changes discussed this morning" and that the draft intentionally places some policy elements in session law for later review. She read the bill's principal requirement: "The department shall ensure each individual is addressed in a manner consistent with the individual's gender identity." (Hillary Cheddar, legislative counsel.)

The committee focused much of its debate on how prescriptive the statute should be about volunteers, contractors and contractors who only infrequently enter facilities. Several lawmakers expressed concern that a subdivision stating volunteers "shall not consistently fail to use the gender pronoun and honorific an individual has specified" could create First Amendment…