Bill Text: NY S01942 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

---

Bill Title: Relates to providing voice communication services to incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities at no cost.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-06 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S01942 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S01942-Amended.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         1942--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 17, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  BAILEY, BROUK, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY, FERNANDEZ,
          GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KRUEGER, RIVERA, SALAZAR,  STAVISKY
          -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
          the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction -- recommitted to
          the  Committee  on  Crime  Victims, Crime and Correction in accordance
          with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  correction  law, in relation to providing voice
          communication services to incarcerated individuals  at no cost; and to
          repeal section 623 of the correction law related thereto

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Section  623  of the correction law is REPEALED and a new
     2  section 623 is added to read as follows:
     3    § 623. Communication with people confined to correctional  facilities.
     4  1.    State  agencies charged with the operation and management of state
     5  prisons and youth residential  placements  or  detention  centers  shall
     6  provide  persons  in  their  custody  and  confined in a correctional or
     7  detention facility with voice communication service. Such state agencies
     8  may supplement voice  communication  service  with  other  communication
     9  services,  including,  but not limited to, video communication and elec-
    10  tronic mail or messaging services. To the extent that such voice  commu-
    11  nication  service  or any other communication service is provided, which
    12  shall not be limited beyond program participation and  routine  facility
    13  procedures,  each  such  service shall be provided free of charge to the
    14  person initiating and the person receiving the communication.
    15    2. No state agency shall receive revenue from the provision  of  voice
    16  communication services or any other communication services to any person
    17  confined in a state correctional facility or youth residential placement
    18  or detention center.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05082-04-4
        S. 1942--A                          2

     1    3.  State  agencies charged with the operation and management of state
     2  prisons and youth residential  placements  or  detention  centers  shall
     3  maintain  in-person  visits for persons in their custody and confined in
     4  their facilities. Communications services shall not be used  to  replace
     5  any in-person visit program.
     6    §  2.  This act shall take effect April 1, 2025 and shall apply to any
     7  new or renewal contract for voice communication services for incarcerat-
     8  ed individuals or other advanced communication services entered into  on
     9  or after such date and provided further that any new or renewal contract
    10  for  voice  communication services for incarcerated individuals or other
    11  advanced communication services entered into  prior  to  April  1,  2025
    12  shall not run past March 31, 2025.