HB4235 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 16740 RLC 30147 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4235

Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Rita Mayfield

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

730 ILCS 5/3-7-10 new

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall ensure that a committed person and the committed person's correspondents are not charged any fee, surcharge, or cost for mail communication or mail scanning services that exceed the standard postage rate set by the United States Postal Service. Provides that the Department shall not charge the committed person or correspondent any fee, surcharge, or cost for any incoming mail addressed to and received by the committed person, including any material received through mail scanning services. Provides that the Department shall not charge the committed person any fee, surcharge, or cost for outgoing mail delivery or mail scanning services that exceeds the postage rate set by the United States Postal Service for any outgoing mail. Provides that the Department or any third-party vendor that the Department contracts with, shall not impose any fee, surcharge, or cost to the committed person above the United States Postal Service rate for mail communication, including the delivery or scanning of mail. Provides that the Department shall not use the provision of voice communication services, mail communication, mail scanning services, or any other communication services to supplant in-person contact visits. Provides that the Department shall not receive revenue, directly or indirectly, from the provision of voice communications, mail communication, mail scanning services, or other communication services to a person in custody in any institutions and facilities of the Department. Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, the Department shall annually report to the General Assembly on the status of any communication services contracts and plans to consolidate contracts to maximize purchasing power for voice communication services, mail communication services, and all other communication services. Provides that the Department shall post the report on its website. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning criminal law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by adding Section 3-7-10 as follows:

(730 ILCS 5/3-7-10 new)

Sec. 3-7-10. Mail delivery, scanning, and communication services.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Correspondent" means any person or entity that sends mail to or receives mail from a committed person.

"Department" means the Department of Corrections.

"Mail communication" means the practice of the delivery and receipt of materials through the United States Postal Service or other commercial shipping services.

"Mail scanning services" means the practice of electronically scanning incoming and outgoing mail to digitize the documents received and either print for distribution to persons in custody or electronically send the documents to the person in custody, including, but not limited to, the process of photocopying incoming and outgoing mail and distributing the photocopies to the person in custody.

"Other communication services" means communication services other than voice communications and mail communications, including, but not limited to, video calls and electronic messages.

"Voice communications" means real-time, audio-only communication services, including, but not limited to, phone calls made over wireline telephony, voice over Internet protocol, or any other technology infrastructure used to transmit voice communications between end users.

(b) The Department shall ensure that a committed person and the committed person's correspondents are not charged any fee, surcharge, or cost for mail communication or mail scanning services that exceed the standard postage rate set by the United States Postal Service. The Department shall not charge the committed person or correspondent any fee, surcharge, or cost for any incoming mail addressed to and received by the committed person, including any material received through mail scanning services. The Department shall not charge the committed person any fee, surcharge, or cost for outgoing mail delivery or mail scanning services that exceeds the postage rate set by the United States Postal Service for any outgoing mail.

(c) The Department or any third-party vendor that the Department contracts with, shall not impose any fee, surcharge, or cost to the committed person above the United States Postal Service rate for mail communication, including the delivery or scanning of mail.

(d) The Department shall not use the provision of voice communication services, mail communication, mail scanning services, or any other communication services to supplant in-person contact visits.

(e) The Department shall not receive revenue, directly or indirectly, from the provision of voice communications, mail communication, mail scanning services, or other communication services to a person in custody in any institutions and facilities of the Department.

(f) Beginning July 1, 2027, the Department shall annually report to the General Assembly on the status of any communication services contracts and plans to consolidate contracts to maximize purchasing power for voice communication services, mail communication services, and all other communication services. The Department shall post the report on its website. The report shall include:

(1) the Department's efforts to renegotiate the agency's communication contracts, including the rates the agency is paying or charging committed persons or community members for any and all services in the contracts;

(2) a complete and detailed accounting of how funds appropriated by the General Assembly for communication services are spent; and

(3) data on usage of all communication services, including monthly call and message volume.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.