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Committee finalizes search language in House Bill 550; DOC says provision acceptable
Summary
The House Corrections & Institutions committee completed a line-by-line review of HB 550’s searches section, clarifying that 'any lawful searches' (including clothed searches, unclothed searches, pat-downs and body scans) are covered and that DOC has no objections to the current drafting, subject to a few wording tweaks.
The House Corrections & Institutions committee completed a detailed reading of House Bill 550’s searches provision on March 12, clarifying what types of searches the Department of Corrections may lawfully conduct and how those searches should be described in statute.
Committee members and staff read subdivisions A, B and C aloud and debated phrasing around whether the bill should reference a 'search designation' or use the term 'accommodating requests.' Members agreed to use 'accommodating' to describe how certain search-related requests would be handled. The committee explicitly listed clothed searches, unclothed searches, pat-downs (described in the transcript as "your analysis") and body scans as the four categories the bill intends to cover, while retaining the phrase "any lawful searches" to preserve coverage for future or unforeseen search methods.
Haley, identified in the transcript as a Department of Corrections (DOC) representative, told the committee DOC had no current concerns with the searches language and that volunteer-related language had already been resolved in earlier subcommittee meetings. Committee counsel and staff said the listing of four search categories was intended as confirmation of what DOC recognizes, not to narrowly limit lawful searches.
Members also discussed the timing for finalizing search policy. The bill requires DOC to submit a revised search policy to the joint legislative justice oversight committee by August 1, 2026, and that committee will review and recommend whether statutory changes are warranted. The committee agreed not to reproduce each federal regulatory detail in the bill text, noting several search standards are governed by federal regulations.
The committee’s edits also clarified the mechanism for documenting when a request cannot be accommodated: the department must record a written explanation if it denies an inmate’s request related to searches or related accommodations. The committee left the search-policy reporting deadlines and the August 2026 submission date in place.
The committee concluded its review of the searches section and proceeded to the classification and housing-placement provisions later in the session. Haley told members she would run the edited language by Commissioner Mir and provide formal DOC concurrence before the next floor action.
