Efforts to block several controversial proposals by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson are moving forward on Beacon Hill.

A bill put forward by state Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) to ban the use of prison labor out-of-state passed the House with a 120-35 vote on May 24. Cabral filed the bill in January after Hodgson announced his prison work program, called Project N.I.C.E., which aimed to use Bristol County inmates for out-of-state work projects.

Hodgson said his program could be used to respond to natural disasters or assist in major infrastructure projects. When he first unveiled the program at his inauguration in January, he gained national attention when he offered up inmates to help Donald Trump build a wall around the country’s borders through the program.

Cabral said he filed the bill to keep programs funded by state dollars, in this case the prison work program, in-state.

Hodgson noted he anticipates funding for the prison work program to come from reimbursements from federal agencies such as FEMA, or states he sends his inmates to work in. He also questioned the legislature’s priorities in holding hearings and voting on the bill so quickly, while a bill to authorize the program has yet to be heard.

Cabral’s bill still needs approval from the Senate before it ends up on the governor’s desk.

A vote on a separate bill Cabral filed, aimed at blocking the use of state funds to participate in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program, was postponed. The program allows officers who have received special training by ICE to perform immigration law enforcement functions, such as identifying, processing, and detaining immigration offenders in Bristol County's prison system.

Hodgson drew parallels to the ways in which local and state law enforcement agencies participate in federal task forces, like the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and warned the law could endanger those partnerships, a notion Cabral rejected, noting they are different and the proposed law will not affect those task forces.

Hodgson also said he feels the cost of the program can’t compare to the cost of releasing inmates who might re-offend and end up back in jail. Cabral suggested the state funding would be better used supporting schools, police departments, and effective inmate rehabilitation programs.

The bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee, Cabral said. It is not clear when the bill will be scheduled to be taken up again on the House floor.