Public Act 099-0878
 
HB6200 EnrolledLRB099 19719 RLC 45164 b

    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The General
Assembly finds that the ability of an individual incarcerated
to maintain contact with the community and family is critical
to a successful re-entry after release from prison. In
addition, many incarcerated people are parents. Communication
has been proven essential to the healthy development of their
children. Many people are incarcerated far away from where
their family and friends reside, which in some cases may be a
country outside the United States. Telephone calls are
frequently the only method available to maintain vital contact
with loved ones. The purpose of this legislation is to ensure
that people incarcerated can maintain contact with their loved
ones without creating an undue burden on the person
incarcerated or the recipient of phone calls. The General
Assembly intends that when determining the best value of a
telephone service, the lowest possible cost to the telephone
user shall be emphasized.
 
    Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
changing Section 3-4-1 as follows:
 
    (730 ILCS 5/3-4-1)  (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-4-1)
    Sec. 3-4-1. Gifts and Grants; Special Trusts Funds;
Department of Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund.
    (a) The Department may accept, receive and use, for and in
behalf of the State, any moneys, goods or services given for
general purposes of this Code by the federal government or from
any other source, public or private, including collections from
inmates, reimbursement of payments under the Workers'
Compensation Act, and commissions from inmate collect call
telephone systems under an agreement with the Department of
Central Management Services. For these purposes the Department
may comply with such conditions and enter into such agreements
upon such covenants, terms, and conditions as the Department
may deem necessary or desirable, if the agreement is not in
conflict with State law.
    (a-5) Beginning January 1, 2018, the Department of Central
Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor
who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 7 cents
per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not
bill to any party any tax, service charge, or additional fee
exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to,
any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement fee,
monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee as
established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for
state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate
Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375,
FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Telephone services made
available through a prepaid or collect call system shall
include international calls; those calls shall be made
available at reasonable rates subject to Federal
Communications Commission rules and regulations, but not to
exceed 23 cents per minute. This amendatory Act of the 99th
General Assembly applies to any new or renewal contract for
inmate calling services.
    (b) On July 1, 1998, the Department of Corrections
Reimbursement Fund and the Department of Corrections Education
Fund shall be combined into a single fund to be known as the
Department of Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund,
which is hereby created as a special fund in the State
Treasury. The moneys deposited into the Department of
Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund shall be
appropriated to the Department of Corrections for the expenses
of the Department.
    The following shall be deposited into the Department of
Corrections Reimbursement and Education Fund:
        (i) Moneys received or recovered by the Department of
    Corrections as reimbursement for expenses incurred for the
    incarceration of committed persons.
        (ii) Moneys received or recovered by the Department as
    reimbursement of payments made under the Workers'
    Compensation Act.
        (iii) Moneys received by the Department as commissions
    from inmate collect call telephone systems.
        (iv) Moneys received or recovered by the Department as
    reimbursement for expenses incurred by the employment of
    persons referred to the Department as participants in the
    federal Job Training Partnership Act programs.
        (v) Federal moneys, including reimbursement and
    advances for services rendered or to be rendered and moneys
    for other than educational purposes, under grant or
    contract.
        (vi) Moneys identified for deposit into the Fund under
    Section 13-44.4 of the School Code.
        (vii) Moneys in the Department of Corrections
    Reimbursement Fund and the Department of Corrections
    Education Fund at the close of business on June 30, 1998.
(Source: P.A. 90-9, eff. 7-1-97; 90-587, eff. 7-1-98.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2017.

Effective Date: 1/1/2017