SB 476

General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 476
   February Session, 2026
 AN ACT CONCERNING VISITATION POLICIES OF THE DEPARTMENT
 OF CORRECTION AND THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS HELD IN TRUST
 BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION TO PERSONS WHO WERE
 FORMERLY INCARCERATED.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1Section 1. Section 18-81oo of the general statutes is repealed and the
2    following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
3(a) The Commissioner of Correction shall [not use the provision of
4    voice communication service or any other communication service to
5    persons who are in the custody of the commissioner and confined in a
6    correctional facility to supplant in-person contact visits any such person
7    may be eligible to receive] permit any person who is confined in a
8    correctional facility and housed with the general population of such
9    facility to have not less than three in-person visits per week.
10      (b) (1) [On and after July 1, 2022, the] The commissioner shall provide
11   voice communication service to persons who are in the custody of the
12   commissioner and confined in a correctional facility. The commissioner
13   may supplement such voice communication service with any other
14   communication service, including, but not limited to, video
15   communication and electronic mail services. Any such communication
16   service shall be provided free of charge to such persons and any
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17 communication, whether initiated or received through any such service,
18 shall be free of charge to the person initiating or receiving the
19 communication.
20    (2) Each person in the custody of the commissioner and confined in a
21 correctional facility shall be eligible to use the voice communication
22 service described in subdivision (1) of this subsection for at least ninety
23 minutes on each day of such person's confinement, provided the
24 provisions of this subdivision shall not be interpreted to interfere with
25 the standard operations of the facility in which such person is confined.
26    (c) [On and after July 1, 2022, the] The state shall not receive revenue
27 for the provision of any communication service to any person in the
28 custody of the commissioner and confined in a correctional facility.
29    (d) The Commissioner of Correction shall not use the provision of
30 voice communication service or any other communication service to a
31 person who is in the custody of the commissioner and confined in a
32 correctional facility to supplant in-person visits authorized under this
33 section, including any in-person contact visit that such person may be
34 eligible to receive.
35    Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) Upon the release of any person
36 from a correctional facility, the Department of Correction shall disburse
37 to such person the remaining balance in such person's Inmate Trust
38 Fund account. The department may make such disbursement to the
39 formerly incarcerated person in the form of cash, a check, or a prepaid
40 device, provided the department may not disburse funds by means of a
41 prepaid device unless the department also provides the formerly
42 incarcerated person with at least one alternative option of receiving the
43 disbursed funds by cash or check.
44    (b) In any situation where the department is unable to make such
45 disbursement upon release of such person because the department was
46 not informed of the person's release date at least two weeks in advance
47 of such date, the department shall obtain a mailing address from such
48 person prior to, or at the time of, such person's release, and mail such
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49 disbursement to such person. In any such situation, not later than two
50 weeks after such person is released, the department shall mail the
51 disbursement by United States mail to the mailing address provided by
52 the formerly incarcerated person.
53    (c) If the department disburses funds by means of a prepaid device
54 pursuant to this section, neither the department nor the issuer of the
55 prepaid device may impose, or cause to be imposed, any fee payable by
56 the formerly incarcerated person. As used in this section, "prepaid
57 device" means a card, code or other means of access to a consumer's
58 account held by a financial institution or other financial service
59 provider.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
  Section 1      October 1, 2026  18-81oo
  Sec. 2  July 1, 2026  New section
 JUD  Joint Favorable Subst.
 APP  Joint Favorable
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