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| SPONSOR: | Rawson | DATE TYPED: | 03/04/01 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Rates Charged for Collect Calls by Inmates | SB | SJM 38 | ||||
| ANALYST: | Valenzuela | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| NFI | |||||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to SB 102 and HB 133
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Office of the Attorney General
Public Regulation Commission
Corrections Department
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Joint Memorial 38 requests the Public Regulation Commission (PRC), with the Corrections Department, to examine the economical justification for the rates charged for collect calls made by inmates housed in New Mexico correctional facilities and their families compared to similarly priced services available to New Mexico citizens. The memorial further requests that examination be given to how the revenue received by operators of privately run correctional facilities is credited against contract payments made by the state and how those revenues are appropriated in Legislature. The memorial requests the agencies to report its findings to the appropriated legislative interim committee by December 1, 2001.
Significant Issues
The PRC currently has before it a case (PRC Utility Case No.3317) relating to the issue outlined in the memorial. The case may meet a substantial portion of the request made in the memorial. The question will be whether the case is completed before December 1, 2001. The likelihood is that it will be complete.
House Bill 133 and Senate Bill 102, which are duplicates, addresses the concerns identified in this memorial.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
Senate Joint Memorial does not carry an appropriation. Enactment would impose a slight administrative burden on select state agencies, each of which are adequately funded to absorb the minor impact of the memorial.
MV/ar