,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdda  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #f1        
#bjaf,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in
 addition to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 for a period to be       
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide for the          
regulation of video visitation services 
by the ,federal ,communications         
,commission generally1 to establish     
criteria for the provision of video     
visitation services by the ,bureau of   
,prisons1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,video ,visitation in ,prisons ,act 
of #bjaf4  #b4 ,,fcc regulation of video
 visitation service and inmate calling  
service  7a7 ,in general ,not later than
 #ahj days after the date of the        

enactment of this ,act1 the ,federal    
,communications ,commission shall       
promulgate regulations with respect to  
video visitation service1 and amend its 
regulations with respect to inmate      
calling service 7as necessary71 to      
ensure that all charges1 practices1     
classifications1 and regulations for and
 in connection with video visitation    
service and inmate calling service are  
just and reasonable4  7b7 ,requirements 
for regulations ,the regulations        
promulgated under subsection 7a7 shall  
include the following3 7#a7 ,caps on the
 rates 7and any related fees or charges7
 that a provider of a covered service   
may charge for such service4  7#b7 ,a   
prohibition against a provider of a     
covered service charging a flat rate for
 a call1 regardless of the duration of  
the call4  7#c7 ,a prohibition against a
 provider of a covered service requiring
 a correctional facility to restrict    
in-person visitation as a condition of  
providing such service in such facility4

  7#d7 ,a requirement that a provider of
 a covered service certify annually to  
the ,commission that such provider is in
 compliance with the prohibition under  
paragraph 7#c74 ,if such provider is    
subject to the annual reporting and     
certification requirement of section    
#fd4fjfj of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal
 ,regulations1 the certification        
required under this paragraph shall be  
included as part of the certification   
required by such section4  7#e7 ,a      
prohibition against a provider of a     
covered service offering or entering    
into an agreement to provide a covered  
service as part of a bundle of services 
that includes any service that is not a 
communications service4  7#f7           
,requirements for the offering or       
entering into an agreement to provide a 
covered service as part of a bundle of  
services that ensure that correctional  
facilities are able to review each      
service separately during the request   
for proposals process4  7#g7 ,with      

respect to video visitation service1    
quality standards that are the best     
commercially available for effective    
human communication by video4 ,in       
developing such standards1 the          
,commission shall seek comments that    
review the academic literature regarding
 the appropriate thresholds for         
effective human communication by video4 
7c7 ,applicability ,the regulations     
promulgated under subsection 7a7 shall  
apply to interstate service1 intrastate 
service1 and international service4 ,in 
promulgating such regulations1 the      
,commission may provide for different   
requirements for interstate service1    
intrastate service1 and international   
service4  7d7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,call ,the term call means
 a voice or video call using a covered  
service4 ,such term includes any other  
session of use that is similar to a     
telephone call4  7#b7 ,commission ,the  
term ,commission means the ,federal     
,communications ,commission4  7#c7      

,covered service ,the term covered      
service means an inmate calling service 
or a video visitation service4  7#d7    
,video visitation service ,the term     
video visitation service means a service
 that allows inmates to make video calls
 to individuals outside the correctional
 facility where the inmate is being     
held1 regardless of the technology used 
to deliver the service4 ,a video        
visitation service may be classified as 
an inmate calling service1 as the       
,commission considers appropriate4  7#e7
 ,additional definitions from           
regulations ,the terms correctional     
facility1 inmate1 and inmate calling    
service have the meanings given such    
terms in section #fd4fjjj of title #dg1 
,code of ,federal ,regulations4  #c4    
,bureau of ,prisons ,oversight ,chapter 
#cja of title #ah1 ,united ,states      
,code1 is amended--  7#a7 by adding at  
the end the following3  #djae4 ,video   
visitation  7a7 ,in general ,the        
,director of the ,bureau of ,prisons    

shall take such actions as may be       
necessary to ensure that1 in the case of
 any prisoner in the custody of the     
,bureau of ,prisons1 video visitation is
 available subject to the following3    
7#a7 ,video visitation may be used only 
to supplement1 not supplant1 in-person  
visitation4  7#b7 ,any equipment or area
 made available for purposes of video   
visitation shall maximize privacy to the
 extent practicable1 and shall include  
measures to ensure the operability of   
the equipment by visitors1 including    
children4  7#c7 ,in entering into any   
agreement to provide covered services1  
the ,director-- 7,a7 shall give priority
 to bids submitted that require the     
purchase of equipment for video         
visitation2  7,b7 may not enter into any
 agreement including a term providing   
for-- 7i7 any services other than those 
that are minimally required by the      
,director2  7ii7 any authority to a     
person other than a corrections officer 
to make a determination that affects the

 terms of a prisoner's imprisonment1    
including visitation schedules or       
ability of a person to move about within
 a correctional facility2 or  7iii7 a   
covered service as part of a bundle of  
services that includes any service that 
is not a covered service2 and  7,c7 may 
not enter into any agreement that does  
not include terms requiring-- 7i7 that  
the service provider provide a list of  
each video visitation and each          
individual fee charged to the visitor   
and the prisoner2  7ii7 that the service
 provider offer a minimum number of free
 visits each month based on good        
behavior 7as determined by the head of  
the correctional facility wherein the   
service is provided72 and  7iii7 that   
the service provider submit quarterly   
reports including such information as   
the ,director may require to ensure     
compliance with the terms of this       
section4  7b7 ,definition ,in this      
section1 terms used have the meanings   
given such terms in section #b7;d7 of   

the ,video ,visitation in ,prisons ,act 
of #bjaf1 except that1 for purposes of  
this section1 the term video visitation 
service includes a service that allows  
the use of videoconferencing or analog  
closed circuit television systems and   
software to allow inmates and visitors  
to visit at a distance with an inmate in
 a correctional facility4  2 and  7#b7  
in the table of sections1 by adding at  
the end the following3  #djae4 ,video   
visitation4  4