Senate Bill 715 aims to enhance climate control in state correctional institutions and county jails by establishing specific temperature regulations and reporting requirements. The bill mandates that the warden or superintendent of state correctional institutions, as well as the sheriff or person in charge of county jails, ensure that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are operational and maintain temperatures between 68 and 76 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Additionally, temperature readings must be recorded in common areas and random cells during extreme weather conditions, with the Department of Corrections required to report this data to the legislature annually.

To facilitate these changes, the bill includes a financial appropriation of $500,000 for the 2025-26 fiscal year to complete a required report, along with $750,000 and 7.0 full-time equivalent positions for the Department of Corrections in each year of the 2025-27 biennium to support system updates. A continuing appropriation of $65 million is also established for the installation and operation of climate control systems, which will be phased in over several years, with one-third of institutions required to comply by May 1, 2029, another third by May 1, 2031, and the final third by May 1, 2035. The bill repeals a previous appropriation related to institutional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, reflecting a shift in funding and regulatory focus.