Bill Text: IL HB5257 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Deletes provision that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 7 cents per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not bill to any party any tax, service charge, or additional fee exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to, any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement fee, monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee as established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375, FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with a qualified vendor for telephone services in which the cost of the service is not based on the number of telephone calls made. Provides that a committed person is entitled to make free telephone calls from the correctional institution or facility. Provides that neither the Department of Corrections nor its agents may adopt rules that charge a committed person per telephone call made. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules determining the length of each call made by a committed person, how many times each day a committed person may make telephone calls, and may prohibit calls for illegal purposes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2025-01-07 - Session Sine Die [HB5257 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB5257-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB5257 Introduced , by Rep. Hoan Huynh SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
730 ILCS 5/3-4-1 from Ch. 38, par. 1003-4-1
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Deletes provision that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 7 cents per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not bill to any party any tax, service charge, or additional fee exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to, any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement fee, monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee as established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375, FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with a qualified vendor for telephone services in which the cost of the service is not based on the number of telephone calls made. Provides that a committed person is entitled to make free telephone calls from the correctional institution or facility. Provides that neither the Department of Corrections nor its agents may adopt rules that charge a committed person per telephone call made. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules determining the length of each call made by a committed person, how many times each day a committed person may make telephone calls, and may prohibit calls for illegal purposes.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning criminal law.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
changing Section 3-4-1 as follows:
(730 ILCS 5/3-4-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-4-1)
Sec. 3-4-1. Gifts and Grants; Special Trusts Funds;
Department of Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund.
(a) The Department may accept, receive and use, for and in
behalf of the State, any moneys, goods or services given for
general purposes of this Code by the federal government or
from any other source, public or private, including
collections from inmates, reimbursement of payments under the
Workers' Compensation Act, and commissions from inmate collect
call telephone systems under an agreement with the Department
of Central Management Services. For these purposes the
Department may comply with such conditions and enter into such
agreements upon such covenants, terms, and conditions as the
Department may deem necessary or desirable, if the agreement
is not in conflict with State law.
(a-5) The Department of Central Management Services shall
contract with a qualified vendor for telephone services in
which the cost of the service is not based on the number of

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telephone calls made. A committed person is entitled to make
free telephone calls from the correctional institution or
facility. Neither the Department of Corrections nor its agents
may adopt rules that charge a committed person per telephone
call made. The Department of Corrections shall adopt rules
determining the length of each call made by a committed
person, how many times each day a committed person may make
telephone calls, and may prohibit calls for illegal purposes.
Beginning January 1, 2018, the Department of Central
Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor
who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 7 cents
per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not
bill to any party any tax, service charge, or additional fee
exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to,
any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement
fee, monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee as
established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for
state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate
Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375,
FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Telephone services made
available through a prepaid or collect call system shall
include international calls; those calls shall be made
available at reasonable rates subject to Federal
Communications Commission rules and regulations, but not to
exceed 23 cents per minute. Public Act 99-878 applies to any
new or renewal contract for inmate calling services.

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(b) On July 1, 1998, the Department of Corrections
Reimbursement Fund and the Department of Corrections Education
Fund shall be combined into a single fund to be known as the
Department of Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund,
which is hereby created as a special fund in the State
Treasury. The moneys deposited into the Department of
Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund shall be
appropriated to the Department of Corrections for the expenses
of the Department.
The following shall be deposited into the Department of
Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund:
(i) Moneys received or recovered by the Department of
Corrections as reimbursement for expenses incurred for the
incarceration of committed persons.
(ii) Moneys received or recovered by the Department as
reimbursement of payments made under the Workers'
Compensation Act.
(iii) Moneys received by the Department as commissions
from inmate collect call telephone systems.
(iv) Moneys received or recovered by the Department as
reimbursement for expenses incurred by the employment of
persons referred to the Department as participants in the
federal Job Training Partnership Act programs.
(v) Federal moneys, including reimbursement and
advances for services rendered or to be rendered and
moneys for other than educational purposes, under grant or

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contract.
(vi) Moneys identified for deposit into the Fund under
Section 13-44.4 of the School Code.
(vii) Moneys in the Department of Corrections
Reimbursement Fund and the Department of Corrections
Education Fund at the close of business on June 30, 1998.
(c) The Department of Juvenile Justice Reimbursement and
Education Fund is created as a special fund in the State
Treasury. The moneys deposited into the Department of Juvenile
Justice Reimbursement Fund and Education shall be appropriated
to the Department of Juvenile Justice for the expenses of the
Department. The following moneys shall be deposited into the
Department of Juvenile Justice Reimbursement Fund and
Education Fund:
(i) received or recovered by the Department of
Juvenile Justice as reimbursement for expenses incurred
for the incarceration of committed youth;
(ii) received or recovered by the Department as
reimbursement of payments made under the Workers'
Compensation Act;
(iii) received or recovered by the Department as
reimbursement for expenses incurred by the employment of
persons referred to the Department as participants in the
federal Job Training Partnership Act programs;
(iv) federal moneys, including reimbursement and
advances for services rendered or to be rendered and

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