New York Senate Bill S01692

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/25
• Refer: 1/13/25
• Engrossed: 5/22/25
• Refer: 5/22/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Report Pass: 2/25/26

Caption

Relates to commissaries and canteens at correctional institutions; provides that items for sale at a commissary or canteen shall be sold for no more than a certain percentage over the purchase price; provides that the department of corrections and community supervisions shall publish on its website the price list for all commissary items for sale at each institution as of June 1, 2026 and on an annual basis thereafter.

Summary

S01692 amends New York Correction Law section 26 to regulate commissaries and canteens in correctional institutions. It authorizes the commissioner to permit commissaries or canteens for incarcerated individuals, but requires that items be sold at no more than three percent above the purchase price. The bill also directs the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to seek bulk-purchase discounts and other contracting arrangements that lower costs, while prohibiting the department from receiving commissions, revenue, or other financial incentives from commissary vendors. The bill further requires the department to publish commissary price lists on its website for each institution, beginning with the listed effective date and then annually thereafter. Existing law allowing profits from commissary sales to be deposited into a special fund for institutional purposes remains in place, but the bill narrows how much markup may be charged and adds transparency requirements. The measure takes effect immediately.

Impact

This bill would directly change the rules governing prison commissaries and canteens by capping markups, limiting vendor-related financial arrangements, and requiring public disclosure of prices. It would affect the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, correctional facility administrators, commissary vendors, and incarcerated people who purchase goods. The bill does not eliminate commissaries or the special fund structure, but it would constrain pricing practices and increase oversight of institutional sales.

Sentiment

The available voting record suggests generally favorable but not unanimous support. The bill was reported favorably from committee and passed the Senate floor by a clear margin, indicating broad concern about commissary pricing and transparency. At the same time, the presence of several no votes shows that some lawmakers were not fully aligned with the measure or its approach.

Contention

The main points of contention appear to be the price cap, the restriction on commissions or other vendor incentives, and the degree of state control over commissary operations. Supporters likely view the bill as a consumer-protection and fairness measure for incarcerated individuals, while opponents may be concerned about reduced institutional revenue, administrative flexibility, or unintended effects on commissary availability and pricing. The split floor vote indicates that these tradeoffs were significant enough to draw some opposition.