Bill Text: NY A02164 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 27-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-25 - print number 2164a [A02164 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A02164-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         2164--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. EPSTEIN, SIMON, SEAWRIGHT, KELLES, GONZALEZ-RO-
          JAS,  FORREST,  JACKSON,  DAVILA,  GIBBS,  TAPIA,  AUBRY,   LEVENBERG,
          BURDICK,  REYES,  SHRESTHA,  MAMDANI,  CHANDLER-WATERMAN,  CUNNINGHAM,
          RAGA, WALKER, SEPTIMO, BORES -- read once and referred to the  Commit-
          tee  on  Correction  --  recommitted to the Committee on Correction in
          accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged,  bill
          amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
          tee

        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 Section 623 of the correction law is  REPEALED  and  a  new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.
                                                                   LBD05082-05-4
        A. 2164--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.