Confinement fees & expenses

AN ACT Relating to reducing fees and expenses for services for 1
people confined in state facilities; amending RCW 72.09.765; adding a 2
new section to chapter 72.01 RCW; creating a new section; and 3
providing an effective date. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 72.01 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
(1) The department shall provide persons in its custody and 8
confined in a state facility with voice communication services. The 9
department may supplement voice communication service with other 10
communication services including, but not limited to, video 11
communication and electronic mail or messaging services. To the 12
extent such voice communication service or any other communication 13
service is provided, which shall not be limited beyond program 14
participation and routine facility procedures, each such service 15
shall be provided free of charge to the person initiating and the 16
person receiving the communication. The department shall at least 17
maintain the same access to voice communication services and other 18
communication services in each state facility as the department 19
offered as of January 1, 2025. 20
S-0107.2
SENATE BILL 5231
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Hansen, Frame, Hasegawa, Nobles, Pedersen, Valdez, and C.
Wilson
Read first time 01/14/25. Referred to Committee on Human Services.
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(2) The department shall not receive revenue, including any 1
commission or fee, from the provision of voice communication services 2
or any other communication services to any person confined in a state 3
facility. 4
(3) The department shall not use the provision of voice 5
communication services or any other communication services to persons 6
in its custody and confined in a state facility to supplant in-person 7
contact visits that any such person may be eligible to receive. 8
Communication services shall not be used to replace the in-person 9
visitation program. 10
(4) The department of corrections shall: 11
(a) Provide tablets to all persons in its custody at no cost; and12
(b) Maintain the same number of voice communication devices, 13
specifically wall phones, in each housing unit as it had on January 14
1, 2025. 15
(5) If the department of children, youth, and families provides 16
tablets to persons in its custody, the tablets shall be provided at 17
no cost to the person. 18
(6) For the purposes of this section: 19
(a) "Voice communication services" means real-time, audio-only 20
communication services, namely phone calls. 21
(b) "Other communication services" means communication services 22
other than voice communications including, but not limited to, video 23
communication and electronic mail or messaging services.24
(c) "Confined" or "confinement" means incarcerated or detained in 25
a correctional institution as defined in RCW 9.94.049 under the 26
custody of the department of corrections or department of children, 27
youth, and families. 28
(d) "Department" means the department of corrections and 29
department of children, youth, and families. 30
Sec. 2. RCW 72.09.765 and 2020 c 319 s 4 are each amended to 31
read as follows: 32
(1) Any contract to provide ((inmates)) incarcerated individuals 33
with ((access to )) telecommunication services and electronic media 34
services in state correctional facilities shall be made publicly 35
available and posted on the department's website. 36
(2) The information in this subsection from the contract shall be 37
prominently displayed on the department's public website , posted 38
prominently in housing units, and made available on tablets:39
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(a) Rates for ((facilitating telecommunication services 1
including, but not limited to, phone calls, video visitation, 2
videograms and video clips, emails, and accessing music and 3
entertainment)) all products and services covered by the contract, 4
with a detailed breakdown that includes taxes, surcharges, fees, and 5
any other fees; 6
(b) Fees charged for money transfers and transactions, 7
maintenance of financial accounts, and any other fee charged to the 8
user to facilitate the money transfer or online deposit account; and9
(c) All fees or costs charged to the ((inmate)) incarcerated 10
individual or customer in exchange for use of ((telecommunication 11
or)) electronic media services through the contract.12
(3) By July 1st of each year, the contractor that provides 13
((inmates)) incarcerated individuals with ((access to )) 14
telecommunication services and electronic media services under 15
subsection (1) of this section shall report to the department the 16
following information: 17
(a) A summary of services offered at each correctional facility;18
(b) Rates charged for, or associated with, providing each type of 19
service including, but not limited to, monthly financial account 20
maintenance fees, transaction fees associated with money transfers, 21
((per call and connection surcharges, )) bill statement fees, and 22
refund fees; 23
(c) ((A total accounting of commissions provided to the 24
department or correctional facility;25
(d))) A detailed summary and accounting of services used by 26
((inmates)) incarcerated individuals categorized as indigent;27
(d) Data on usage of all telecommunications and electronic media 28
services under the contract, including monthly call and message 29
volume;30
(e) One-time and ongoing costs incurred for installing and 31
maintaining hardware; 32
(f) Average customer service response time rates per facility and 33
the average time taken to resolve an issue or provide a refund for 34
defective services; and 35
(g) An accounting of all revenues or losses incurred by the 36
contractor by quarter. 37
(4) By November 1st of each year, and in compliance with RCW 38
43.01.036, the department shall report to the governor and 39
legislature on contracts for telecommunication services and 40
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electronic media services under this section and the contractor's 1
annual compliance with this section. 2
(5) This section applies to any contract in effect on June 11, 3
2020, and to any renegotiation, renewal, or extension of such 4
contract. 5
(6) For the purposes of this section:6
(a) "Telecommunications services" include, but are not limited 7
to, voice communication services, video communication services, 8
videograms, and electronic mail or messaging services.9
(b) "Electronic media services" include, but are not limited to, 10
video clips, music, and entertainment.11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act may be known and cited as the 12
connecting families act.13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act takes effect December 1, 2025.14
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