The House Committee on Public Safety adopted a substitute to House Bill 1894 that would require the Department of Corrections to provide specified cooling or warming measures inside cells when temperatures exceed or fall below set thresholds and to explore more accurate, wireless temperature monitoring.

Sponsor Delegate Seabold told the committee that seven prisons in Virginia lack central air conditioning and that inmates report heat-related illnesses and cold-related harm. "There are 7 prisons still in Virginia that do not have any air conditioning whatsoever," Seabold said. The substitute would require measures such as fans when cell temperatures exceed a specified threshold (the substitute referenced 80 degrees as a working standard during testimony) and warmer blankets or additional clothing when temperatures fall below a specified threshold (testimony referenced 65 degrees).

The Department of Corrections operations administrator, Marcus Seelom, told the panel installing central HVAC in older facilities is costly and often requires structural work; DOC staff said space heaters were removed from the substitute at department request because of safety and electrical concerns. Several witnesses, including formerly incarcerated people and advocates, described sleeplessness, heat-related symptoms and frozen plumbing in cells.

The committee voted to report the substitute 4-2. Sponsor and DOC staff said the substitute was intended to provide cell-level relief and improved monitoring as an interim measure while longer-term infrastructure upgrades are considered.