SB 231 — An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating to official visitation, providing for communications services for inmates in State or county correctional institutions; and making an appropriation.

PRINTER'S NO.   184

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          SENATE BILL
                          No. 231
                                                  Session of
                                                    2025

     INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, COLLETT, STREET, SAVAL, HAYWOOD,
        KEARNEY AND COSTA, FEBRUARY 4, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 4, 2025


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating
 3      to official visitation, providing for communications services
 4      for inmates in State or county correctional institutions; and
 5      making an appropriation.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.      Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 9   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
10   § 5912.    Communications services for inmates in State or county
11                   correctional institutions.
12      (a)    Requirements.--The department and counties shall provide
13   to all persons in their custody and confined in a State
14   correctional institution or a county correctional institution,
15   as applicable, voice communication services as follows:
16             (1)   The department and counties must maintain no less
17      than the access to voice communication services and other
18      communication services as was allowed by them on January 1,
19      2024.
 1             (2)   The department and counties must maintain a 10 to 1
 2      ratio of persons in custody to operable voice communication
 3      devices in each housing unit or recreational yard with at
 4      least two voice communication devices inside each housing
 5      unit.
 6      (b)    Optional additional communications services.--The
 7   department and counties may voluntarily supplement the voice
 8   communication services with other communication services,
 9   including video communication and email or messaging services.
10      (c)    Prohibition on fees and charges.--Voice communication
11   services or other communication services shall be provided free
12   of charge to an inmate and a service, whether initiated or
13   received through a voice communication service or other
14   communication service, shall be free of charge to the person
15   initiating or receiving the communication.
16      (d)    Prohibition on revenue and commissions.--The department
17   and counties shall be prohibited from charging an inmate for use
18   of or access to a communication service, device or system.
19      (e)    Prohibition of replacing visits.--Communications
20   services may not be used to replace an in-person visit program
21   and nothing in this section shall authorize or permit the
22   department or county to limit or prohibit in-person contact
23   visits.
24      (f)    Funds.--
25             (1)   For fiscal year 2025-2026, the sum of $16,500,000 is
26      appropriated from the General Fund to the department, in
27      addition to any funds deposited in the department's general
28      government operations, for the purpose of supporting the cost
29      of providing communications services to inmates in State or
30      county correctional institutions.

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 1            (2)   The appropriation and additional funds may not be
 2      used for indirect expenses related to the provision of
 3      communications services to inmates in State or county
 4      correctional institutions and are only eligible for invoiced
 5      expenses from a communication service vendor.
 6            (3)   Any additional funds appropriated to the department
 7      for the supplemental allocation shall be allocated annually
 8      as follows:
 9                  (i)    70% to the department; and
10                  (ii)    30% to counties, allocated to each county on a
11            proportional basis calculated on a per capita inmate
12            population in county correctional institutions.
13      (g)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
14   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
15   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
16      "Other communication services."         Communication services other
17   than voice communication services, including, but not limited
18   to, video calls and electronic messages.
19      "Voice communication services."         Real-time, audio-only
20   communication services, namely telephone calls made over
21   wireline telephony, voice over Internet protocol or any other
22   technology infrastructure.
23      Section 2.        This act shall take effect in 180 days.




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