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Senate Bill S4160

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides voice communication service to incarcerated people at no cost; repealer

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

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2025-S4160 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A2266
Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Correction Law
Laws Affected:
Rpld & add §623, Cor L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: S6276, A7658
2021-2022: S3512, A3096, A3402
2023-2024: S1942, A2164

2025-S4160 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-S4160 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4160 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4160
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             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:
 
   Section  1.  Section  623  of the correction law is REPEALED and a new
 section 623 is added to read as follows:
   § 623. COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE CONFINED TO CORRECTIONAL  FACILITIES.
 1.    STATE  AGENCIES CHARGED WITH THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF STATE
 PRISONS AND YOUTH RESIDENTIAL  PLACEMENTS  OR  DETENTION  CENTERS  SHALL
 PROVIDE  PERSONS  IN  THEIR  CUSTODY  AND  CONFINED IN A CORRECTIONAL OR
 DETENTION FACILITY WITH VOICE COMMUNICATION SERVICE. SUCH STATE AGENCIES
 MAY SUPPLEMENT VOICE  COMMUNICATION  SERVICE  WITH  OTHER  COMMUNICATION
 SERVICES,  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, VIDEO COMMUNICATION AND ELEC-
 TRONIC MAIL OR MESSAGING SERVICES. TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH VOICE  COMMU-
 NICATION  SERVICE  OR ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SERVICE IS PROVIDED, WHICH
 SHALL NOT BE LIMITED BEYOND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AND  ROUTINE  FACILITY
 PROCEDURES,  EACH  SUCH  SERVICE SHALL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE TO THE
 PERSON INITIATING AND THE PERSON RECEIVING THE COMMUNICATION.
   2. NO STATE AGENCY SHALL RECEIVE REVENUE FROM THE PROVISION  OF  VOICE
 COMMUNICATION SERVICES OR ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SERVICES TO ANY PERSON
 CONFINED IN A STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY OR YOUTH RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT
 OR DETENTION CENTER.
   3.  STATE  AGENCIES CHARGED WITH THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF STATE
 PRISONS AND YOUTH RESIDENTIAL  PLACEMENTS  OR  DETENTION  CENTERS  SHALL
 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

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