HLS 24RS-743 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 705
BY REPRESENTATIVE JORDAN
CORRECTIONS/PRISONERS: Provides relative to payphones and communications for
incarcerated individuals
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 15:822 and R.S. 39:1756, relative to telecommunication services for
3 incarcerated persons in the custody of the Department of Public Safety and
4 Corrections; to prohibit telecommunication services from charging the incarcerated
5 person or the person accepting the call from the incarcerated person; to provide for
6 a definition; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 15:822 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §822. Telecommunication services for incarcerated persons; charges prohibited;
10 compliance with Louisiana Procurement Code
11 A. No telecommunication service provided to a person who has been
12 committed to the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall
13 include a charge to the incarcerated person or to the person accepting the
14 communication from the incarcerated person.
15 B. Any negotiation for procurement of telecommunication services by the
16 Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall be conducted in accordance with
17 and subject to the requirements of telecommunication procurement procedures under
18 the provisions of the Louisiana Procurement Code, R.S. 39:1751 et seq.
19 C. For the purposes of this Section, "telecommunication service" shall mean
20 a method of communication which enables persons in different locations to
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 24RS-743 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 705
1 participate in a meeting and to see, hear, and communicate with each other. It shall
2 also mean any system that transmits audio or video over a distance using wire, radio,
3 cellular, or electric signals.
4 Section 2. R.S. 39:1756 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
5 §1756. Telecommunication services for incarcerated persons; charges prohibited
6 A. No telecommunication service provided to a person who has been
7 committed to the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall
8 include a charge to the incarcerated person or to the person accepting the
9 communication from the incarcerated person.
10 B. No contract for telecommunication services provided to a person who has
11 been committed to the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
12 shall include provisions which authorize charges to the incarcerated person or the
13 person accepting the communication from the incarcerated person.
14 C. For the purposes of this Section, "telecommunication service" shall mean
15 a method of communication which enables persons in different locations to
16 participate in a meeting and to see, hear, and communicate with each other. It shall
17 also mean any system that transmits audio or video over a distance using wire, radio,
18 cellular, or electric signals.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 705 Original 2024 Regular Session Jordan
Abstract: Prohibits the charging of a person who has been committed to the custody of the
Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) for using a telecommunication
service or the person accepting the communication from the incarcerated person.
Proposed law (R.S. 15:822) provides that no telecommunication service provided to a person
who has been committed to the custody of DPS&C shall include a charge to the incarcerated
person or to the person accepting a telephone call from the incarcerated person.
Proposed law provides that any negotiation for procurement of telecommunication services
by DPS&C shall be conducted in accordance with and subject to the requirements of
telecommunication procurement procedures under the provisions of present law (R.S.
39:1751 et seq.).
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HB NO. 705
Proposed law defines the term "telecommunication service".
Proposed law (R.S. 39:1756) provides that no telecommunication service provided to a
person who has been committed to the custody of DPS&C shall include a charge to the
incarcerated person or to the person accepting a telephone call from the incarcerated person.
Proposed law provides that no contract for telecommunication services provided to a person
who has been committed to the custody of DPS&C shall include provisions which authorize
charges to the incarcerated person or the person accepting a telephone call from the
incarcerated person.
Proposed law defines the term "telecommunication service".
(Adds R.S. 15:822 and R.S. 39:1756)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.