Pennsylvania HB 1506: An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating to inmate confinement, providing for communications services for inmates in State or county correctional institutions.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1764
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1506
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CARROLL, HOWARD, HOHENSTEIN, GIRAL, KENYATTA,
McNEILL, SMITH-WADE-EL, OTTEN, KAZEEM, SANCHEZ, KHAN,
D. WILLIAMS, BELLMON, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, K.HARRIS, KRAJEWSKI AND
WARREN, MAY 28, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
MAY 29, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating
to inmate confinement, providing for communications services
for inmates in State or county correctional institutions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 5912. Communications services for inmates in State or county
correctional institutions.
(a) Requirements.--The department and counties shall provide
to all persons in their custody and confined in a State
correctional institution or a county correctional institution,
as applicable, voice communication services as follows:
(1) The department and counties must maintain no less
than the access to voice communication services and other
communication services as was allowed by them on January 1,
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2024.
(2) The department and counties must maintain a 10-to-1
ratio of persons in custody to operable voice communication
devices in each housing unit or recreational yard with at
least two voice communication devices inside each housing
unit.
(b) Optional additional communications services.--The
department and counties may voluntarily supplement the voice
communication services with other communication services,
including video communication and email or messaging services.
(c) Prohibition on fees and charges.--
(1) Voice communication services and other communication
services shall be provided free of charge to an inmate.
(2) A service, whether initiated or received through a
voice communication service or other communication service,
shall be free of charge to the person initiating or receiving
the communication.
(d) Prohibition on revenue and commissions.--The department
and counties shall be prohibited from charging an inmate for use
of or access to a communication service, device or system.
(e) Prohibition of replacing visits.--
(1) Voice communications services and other
communication services may not be used to replace an in-
person visit program.
(2) Nothing in this section shall authorize or permit
the department or county to limit or prohibit in-person
contact visits.
(f) Funding.--
(1) Money appropriated by the General Assembly to the
department for the purpose of supporting the cost of
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providing voice communications services or other
communication services to inmates in State correctional
institutions or county correctional institutions:
(i) May not be used for indirect expenses related to
the provision of the voice communications services or
other communication services.
(ii) May only be disbursed for eligible costs
accompanied by invoiced expenses from a communication
service vendor.
(2) From money appropriated to the department for the
purpose specified in paragraph (1), 30% shall be allocated to
counties on a proportional basis calculated on a per capita
inmate population in county correctional institutions.
(g) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Other communication services." Communication services other
than voice communication services, including video calls and
electronic messages.
"Voice communication services." Real-time, audio-only
communication services, namely telephone calls made over
wireline telephony, voice over Internet protocol or any other
technology infrastructure.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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