H 294

No. 139  Page 1 of 4
2026
No. 139. An act relating to telecommunications services and wages in
correctional facilities.
                                     (H.294)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. INTENT
   It is the intent of the General Assembly to:
      (1) create conditions of incarceration that encourage the development
and maintenance of the personal supports necessary for rehabilitation;
      (2) mitigate the disruptions to family and community connections
caused by incarceration by reducing communication barriers;
      (3) divest the State from the for-profit prison industry; and
      (4) inform State correctional policy decision making with data, fiscal
analysis, and agency expertise.
Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; EVALUATION OF
          TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES; REPORT
   (a) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department of Corrections shall
provide to the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions and the Senate
Committee on Institutions a written report evaluating options for providing no-
cost telecommunications services to inmates in the Department’s custody that:
      (1) describes the current telecommunications service model, including
usage rates, costs, and contract terms under existing provider arrangements;
      (2) describes alternative options for providing telecommunications
services, including through nonprofit providers or as a regulated public utility;
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      (3) analyzes the cost to the State of each alternative, including:
          (A) start-up and transition costs, both with and without Wi-Fi;
          (B) ongoing operational and administrative costs;
          (C) cost comparisons to the current model;
          (D) impacts on Department budgets;
          (E) anticipated changes in service usage and volume; and
          (F) any anticipated benefits or savings, including reasonably
ascertainable impacts on behavior, security, safety, and an incarcerated
person’s ability to sustain support systems; and
      (4) identifies implementation, operational, and transition considerations
for each alternative, including:
          (A) administrative, technological, and contractual requirements;
          (B) operational changes;
          (C) implementation timeline; and
          (D) any required statutory, regulatory, or policy updates.
   (b) In conducting its evaluation of options for providing no-cost
telecommunications services, the Department of Corrections shall, when
practicable, consult with the following stakeholders:
      (1) the Public Utility Commission;
      (2) the Joint Fiscal Office;
      (3) one or more nonprofit providers of corrections telecommunications
services with operational experience;
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      (4) incarcerated Vermonters, formerly incarcerated Vermonters, and
organizations representing incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals;
      (5) representatives of families of incarcerated Vermonters or
organizations representing families of incarcerated Vermonters;
      (6) community-based reentry service providers;
      (7) justice reform organizations;
      (8) the Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN); and
      (9) any other stakeholders or subject matter experts identified by the
Commissioner of Corrections as necessary for the evaluation.
   (c) The Department of Corrections shall provide to the Joint Legislative
Justice Oversight Committee for the Committee’s analysis and input:
      (1) a first draft of the report on or before September 15, 2026; and
      (2) an updated draft of the report on or before November 15, 2026.
Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; WAGE IMPACT
          EVALUATION; REPORT
   On or before December 1, 2026, the Department of Corrections shall
provide to the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions and the Senate
Committee on Institutions a written report evaluating the impacts of current
wages for inmates in the Department’s custody that:
      (1) collects and analyzes the current wage levels for inmates;
      (2) identifies the categories of labor performed by inmates that would
otherwise be performed by the State and estimates the cost to the State of
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providing the same services through State employees or contracted vendors,
including wage and benefit costs;
      (3) compares different wage impact scenarios and estimates the impact
of wage adequacy improvements on outcomes for inmates, such as
maintenance of family contacts, compliance with restitution and support
obligations, reentry success, and participation in facility work programs; and
      (4) assesses the relationship between current wage levels and the ability
of work program participants to purchase telecommunications services and
commissary items.
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
   This act shall take effect on passage.
Date Governor signed bill: June 16, 2026
                                                                 VT LEG #390221 v.1