S 4160: Relates to providing voice communication services to incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities at no cost.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4160 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 3, 2025 ___________ 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 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 Section 623 of the correction law is REPEALED and a new 2 section 623 is added to read as follows: 3 § 623.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. 19 3. State agencies charged with the operation and management of state 20 prisons and youth residential placements or detention centers shall 21 maintain in-person visits for persons in their custody and confined in EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04335-01-5 
 S. 4160 2 1 their facilities. Communications services shall not be used to replace 2 any in-person visit program. 3 § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2026 and shall apply to any 4 new or renewal contract for voice communication services for incarcerat- 5 ed individuals or other advanced communication services entered into on 6 or after such date and provided further that any new or renewal contract 7 for voice communication services for incarcerated individuals or other 8 advanced communication services entered into prior to April 1, 2026 9 shall not run past March 31, 2026.