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HB4235 • 2026
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This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
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These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4235 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience.
Governor Approved
Effective Date June 26, 2026
Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0483
Sent to the Governor
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen
Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000
Passed Both Houses
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Simmons
Second Reading
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 20, 2026
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading **
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachel Ventura
Do Pass Criminal Law ; 007-000-000
Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 30, 2026
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mark L. Walker
Assigned to Criminal Law
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Lakesia Collins
Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.
First Reading
Referred to Assignments
Arrive in Senate
Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading April 14, 2026
Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 101-000-000
Second Reading - Short Debate
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons
Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Judiciary - Criminal Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Adopted in Judiciary - Criminal Committee ; by Voice Vote
Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Judiciary - Criminal Committee ; 015-000-000
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed to Table Rep. Rita Mayfield
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Judiciary - Criminal Committee
Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Suzanne M. Ness
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maura Hirschauer
Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Daniel Didech
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Barbara Hernandez
Assigned to Judiciary - Criminal Committee
First Reading
Referred to Rules Committee
Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
CD CORR-COMMITTED PERSON MAIL
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4235 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein. Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet. The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website. NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window. 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Full Text of HB4235 Home Legislation Full Text HB4235 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced Engrossed Enrolled House Amendment 001 House Amendment 002 Public Act Printer Friendly Version Introduced Engrossed Enrolled House Amendment 001 House Amendment 002 Public Act Open PDF HB4235 Enrolled LRB104 16740 RLC 30147 b 1 AN ACT concerning criminal law. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by 5 adding Section 3-7-10 as follows: 6 (730 ILCS 5/3-7-10 new) 7 Sec. 3-7-10. Mail delivery, scanning, and communication 8 services. 9 (a) As used in this Section: 10 "Correspondent" means any person or entity that sends mail 11 to or receives mail from a committed person. 12 "Department" means the Department of Corrections. 13 "Mail communication" means the practice of the delivery 14 and receipt of materials through the United States Postal 15 Service. 16 "Mail scanning services" means the practice of 17 electronically scanning incoming and outgoing mail to digitize 18 the documents received and either print for distribution to 19 persons in custody or electronically send the documents to the 20 person in custody, including, but not limited to, the process 21 of photocopying incoming and outgoing mail and distributing 22 the photocopies to the person in custody. 23 "Other communication services" means communication HB4235 Enrolled - 2 - LRB104 16740 RLC 30147 b 1 services other than voice communications and mail 2 communications, including, but not limited to, video calls and 3 electronic messages. 4 "Voice communications" means real-time, audio-only 5 communication services, including, but not limited to, phone 6 calls made over wireline telephony, voice over Internet 7 protocol, or any other technology infrastructure used to 8 transmit voice communications between end users. 9 (b) The Department shall ensure that a committed person 10 and the committed person's correspondents are not charged any 11 fee, surcharge, or cost for mail communication or mail 12 scanning services that exceeds the standard postage rate set 13 by the United States Postal Service. The Department shall not 14 charge the committed person or correspondent any fee, 15 surcharge, or cost for any incoming mail addressed to and 16 received by the committed person, including any material 17 received through mail scanning services. The Department shall 18 not charge the committed person any fee, surcharge, or cost 19 for outgoing mail delivery or mail scanning services that 20 exceeds the postage rate set by the United States Postal 21 Service for any outgoing mail. 22 (c) The Department or any third-party vendor that the 23 Department contracts with shall not impose any fee, surcharge, 24 or cost to the committed person above the United States Postal 25 Service rate for mail communication, including the delivery or 26 scanning of mail. HB4235 Enrolled - 3 - LRB104 16740 RLC 30147 b 1 (d) The Department or any third-party vendor that the 2 Department contracts with shall not impose any fee, surcharge, 3 or cost to the committed person above the applicable 4 commercial shipping service rate when a commercial shipping 5 service is utilized for correspondence, including the delivery 6 or scanning of mail. 7 (e) The Department shall not use the provision of voice 8 communication services, mail communication, mail scanning 9 services, or any other communication services to supplant 10 in-person contact visits. 11 (f) The Department shall not receive revenue from the 12 provision of voice communications, mail communication, mail 13 scanning services, or other communication services to a person 14 in custody in any institutions or facilities of the 15 Department. 16 (g) Beginning July 1, 2027, the Department shall annually 17 report to the General Assembly on the status of any voice 18 communication services, mail communication, mail scanning 19 services, and all other communication services. The Department 20 shall post the report on its website. The report shall 21 include: 22 (1) the rates the agency is paying or charging 23 committed persons or community members for any and all 24 services in the contracts; and 25 (2) Department spending on a third-party vendor or 26 vendors for voice communication services, mail HB4235 Enrolled - 4 - LRB104 16740 RLC 30147 b 1 communication, mail scanning services, or any other 2 communication services. 3 (h) Notwithstanding Section 3-7-2a of this Code, postage 4 stamps and essential mailing supplies, including envelopes, 5 shall not be subject to the commissary markup authorized under 6 that Section and shall be made available at no more than the 7 Department's actual acquisition cost, rounded to the nearest 8 cent. 9 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 10 becoming law. 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