HB3055 - Faith Behind Bars Act

• Establishes right of incarcerated persons to practice their faith in Illinois correctional institutions absent harm or undue burden to facility security and operations.

• Requires all correctional facilities to provide pastoral and spiritual care, religious reading materials, prayer time and space, dietary accommodations, and access to chaplains representing diverse faith groups.

• Mandates facilities maintain a chaplain database reflecting the religious composition of the inmate population and grant chaplain access absent evidence of potential security threats.

• Requires wardens and chief administrative officers to attend training seminars every 5 years administered by chaplains representing leading faith groups to familiarize themselves with religious foundations.

• Permits religious observance gatherings including mass, congregations, sermons, and pastoral meetings absent harm or undue burden, with "undue burden" defined as significant difficulty, expense, or detriment to facility safety and security.