Bill Text: VA HB1854 | 2013 | Regular Session | Prefiled

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Bill Title: Prisons; telephone systems.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-01-18 - Passed by indefinitely in Militia, Police and Public Safety (15-Y 7-N) [HB1854 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2013-HB1854-Prefiled.html

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13103574D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1854 Offered January 9, 2013 Prefiled January 8, 2013 A BILL to amend and reenact §53.1-1.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to telephone systems within correctional facilities. ---------- Patron-- Hope ---------- Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That §53.1-1.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§53.1-1.1. Telephone systems within correctional facilities.

The Department of Corrections shall offer debit or prepaid telephone systems, in addition to any existing collect calling systems, which allow telephone calls to be placed to the telephone number or numbers on an approved call list. Such telephone systems may shall be established with the lowest available rates allowing for the security needs of the institutions.

Commission payments to the Commonwealth or agencies thereof from the companies that provide inmate phone services shall not exceed 10 percent of the overall net revenue realized by the provider. Any and all commissions or revenues received by the Commonwealth on prisoner telephone calls shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to a special nonreverting fund known as the Prisoner Reentry Fund and shall be used for independent pre-release and post-release reentry and transition service programs, such as those supported by charitable and faith-based organizations.