Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB351

Introduced
1/21/26  

Caption

Requiring correctional facilities and jails to allow inmates and prisoners to make telephone calls at no cost.

Impact

The introduction of SB351 has significant implications for state laws surrounding inmate rights and the operations of correctional facilities. If passed, it would alter the financial burden currently placed on inmates and their families, who often bear the costs associated with phone calls. This may lead to a decrease in the monetary strain on families, potentially improving mental health outcomes for both inmates and their loved ones. By facilitating easier communication, it is expected that the bill could foster a more supportive environment for rehabilitation.

Summary

SB351 aims to mandate that correctional facilities and jails are required to allow inmates and prisoners to make telephone calls at no cost. This legislation is positioned as a means to support the communication rights of inmates, providing them with the ability to stay connected with family and friends while incarcerated. Advocates for the bill argue that this is essential for maintaining familial bonds and aiding in rehabilitation efforts upon release. Communication is viewed as a crucial factor in reducing recidivism rates, making this bill a potential public safety and social justice measure.

Contention

Despite its intent to improve inmate communication rights, SB351 may face opposition based on concerns regarding the financial implications for correctional facilities. Some stakeholders may argue that funding such initiatives could lead to increased operational costs for these institutions. There might also be resistance from those who believe that inmates should not have access to free communication as a privilege, fearing that this could enable further criminal activity from within correctional walls. Thus, the bill represents a balance between enhancing inmate rights and addressing the potential operational challenges it may introduce.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SB3

Clarifying the procedures and restrictions on accepting a nomination for an elected office.

KS SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

Similar Bills

TN SB2209

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39; Title 47 and Title 65, relative to consumer protection.

TN HB2225

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39; Title 47 and Title 65, relative to consumer protection.

VA SB1339

Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act; telephone solicitations by text message, effective date.

NC H936

Robocall Solicitation Modifications

CA SB716

An act to add and repeal Section Sections 873.

MI SB0351

Consumer protection: marketing and advertising; telephone solicitation act; create. Creates new act. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0352'25, SB 0353'25, SB 0354'25, SB 0355'25

ME LD647

An Act Regarding Telephone and Video Call Access in Detention and Correctional Facilities and Jails

TX SB140

Relating to certain definitions relating to the regulation of and private rights of action arising from certain solicitation-related communications.