Bill > S1764

This bill, the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2019, aims to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure just and reasonable charges for telephone and advanced communications services in correctional and detention facilities. The bill findings acknowledge the unique telecommunications needs of prisons, jails, and detention centers due to safety and security concerns, and the impact of unjust and unreasonable charges on recidivism and communities. The bill makes technical amendments to Section 276 of the Communications Act to clarify the FCC's authority to ensure fair compensation and just and reasonable charges for all communications services in correctional facilities. The bill also directs the FCC to promulgate regulations to implement these changes within 18 months.