HB21-1201 Summary

• Prohibits correctional facilities from receiving commissions from penal communications service providers except to recover direct and indirect costs of managing calling systems.

• Requires penal communications service providers to submit quarterly reports to the Public Utilities Commission by January 1, 2022, including contracts, call data, revenue collected, commissions paid, rates, fees, and unclaimed funds policies.

• Applies Federal Communications Commission rate caps to all in-state debit, prepaid, and collect calls to or from correctional facilities beginning January 1, 2022.

• Directs the Public Utilities Commission to conduct biannual trial tests of penal communications services, publish results and remedial actions annually, and require providers to display complaint filing information on their websites.

• Appropriates $259,251 to the Public Utilities Commission for the 2021-22 fiscal year, including $232,101 for 3.0 FTE staff and $27,150 for operating expenses.