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.

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
 1   Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating
 3      to inmate confinement, providing for communications services
 4      for inmates in State or county correctional institutions.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.      Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 8   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 9   § 5912.    Communications services for inmates in State or county
10                   correctional institutions.
11      (a)    Requirements.--The department and counties shall provide
12   to all persons in their custody and confined in a State
13   correctional institution or a county correctional institution,
14   as applicable, voice communication services as follows:
15             (1)   The department and counties must maintain no less
16      than the access to voice communication services and other
17      communication services as was allowed by them on January 1,
 1      2024.
 2            (2)   The department and counties must maintain a 10-to-1
 3      ratio of persons in custody to operable voice communication
 4      devices in each housing unit or recreational yard with at
 5      least two voice communication devices inside each housing
 6      unit.
 7      (b)   Optional additional communications services.--The
 8   department and counties may voluntarily supplement the voice
 9   communication services with other communication services,
10   including video communication and email or messaging services.
11      (c)   Prohibition on fees and charges.--
12            (1)   Voice communication services and other communication
13      services shall be provided free of charge to an inmate.
14            (2)   A service, whether initiated or received through a
15      voice communication service or other communication service,
16      shall be free of charge to the person initiating or receiving
17      the communication.
18      (d)   Prohibition on revenue and commissions.--The department
19   and counties shall be prohibited from charging an inmate for use
20   of or access to a communication service, device or system.
21      (e)   Prohibition of replacing visits.--
22            (1)   Voice communications services and other
23      communication services may not be used to replace an in-
24      person visit program.
25            (2)   Nothing in this section shall authorize or permit
26      the department or county to limit or prohibit in-person
27      contact visits.
28      (f)   Funding.--
29            (1)   Money appropriated by the General Assembly to the
30      department for the purpose of supporting the cost of

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 1      providing voice communications services or other
 2      communication services to inmates in State correctional
 3      institutions or county correctional institutions:
 4                  (i)    May not be used for indirect expenses related to
 5            the provision of the voice communications services or
 6            other communication services.
 7                  (ii)    May only be disbursed for eligible costs
 8            accompanied by invoiced expenses from a communication
 9            service vendor.
10            (2)   From money appropriated to the department for the
11      purpose specified in paragraph (1), 30% shall be allocated to
12      counties on a proportional basis calculated on a per capita
13      inmate population in county correctional institutions.
14      (g)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
15   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
16   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
17      "Other communication services."         Communication services other
18   than voice communication services, including video calls and
19   electronic messages.
20      "Voice communication services."         Real-time, audio-only
21   communication services, namely telephone calls made over
22   wireline telephony, voice over Internet protocol or any other
23   technology infrastructure.
24      Section 2.        This act shall take effect in 180 days.




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