Bill Details
View committees (1)
View cosponsors (13)
- Sen. Risch, James E. [R-Idaho]
- Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-South Carolina]
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-Idaho]
- Sen. Lankford, James [R-Oklahoma]
- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-Louisiana]
- Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-West Virginia]
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-Mississippi]
- Sen. Hagerty, Bill [R-Tennessee]
- Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-Nebraska]
- Sen. Justice, James C. [R-West Virginia]
- Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-Ohio]
- Sen. Scott, Rick [R-Florida]
- Sen. McCormick, David [R-Pennsylvania]
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would let state and federal prisons and jails use cellphone jamming equipment inside their facilities, and it would stop the Federal Communications Commission from blocking that use. The goal is to cut off illegal wireless communications, especially calls or messages made by inmates or by contraband phones hidden in the facility. The bill says the jamming can only be used in the housing areas of the correctional facility, and state facilities would have to pay for the full cost themselves. Before turning on a jamming system, the facility would also need to talk with local law enforcement and other public safety officials, and it would have to send notice to the Director of the Bureau of Prisons.
- The bill applies to jails, prisons, penitentiaries, and other correctional facilities.
- It defines a jamming system as equipment meant to disrupt wireless signals into, out of, or within a correctional facility.
- Facilities could use the system to block communications to or from contraband devices, or communications sent by or to people held in the facility.
- State correctional facilities would be responsible for all costs, including installation and operation.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1137 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1137
To provide that the Federal Communications Commission may not prevent a
State or Federal correctional facility from utilizing jamming
equipment, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 26, 2025
Mr. Cotton (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Graham, Mr. Crapo, Mr.
Lankford, Mr. Cassidy, Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Hagerty, and
Mr. Ricketts) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide that the Federal Communications Commission may not prevent a
State or Federal correctional facility from utilizing jamming
equipment, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON FCC AUTHORITY.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission;
(2) the term ``correctional facility'' means a jail,
prison, penitentiary, or other correctional facility; and
(3) the term ``jamming system''--
(A) means a system of radio signal generating and
processing equipment and antennas designed to disrupt,
prevent, interfere with, or jam a wireless
communication into, from, or within a correctional
facility; and
(B) includes the components and functionality of a
system described in subparagraph (A), such as--
(i) antennas, cabling, and cable elements;
(ii) the installation, interconnection, and
operation of system elements, power levels, and
radio frequencies carried on the cables or fed
into antennas;
(iii) the radiation pattern of the
antennas; and
(iv) the location and orientation of the
antennas.
(b) Restriction.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law
or regulation, and subject to paragraph (2), the Commission may
not prevent a State or Federal correctional facility from
operating a jamming system within the correctional facility to
prevent, jam, or otherwise interfere with a wireless
communication that is sent--
(A) to or from a contraband device in the facility;
or
(B) by or to an individual held in the facility.
(2) Requirements.--With respect to a jamming system
described in paragraph (1)--
(A) the operation of the system shall be limited to
the housing facilities of the correctional facility in
which the system is located;
(B) if the correctional facility that operates the
system is a State correctional facility, the State that
operates the correctional facility shall be responsible
for funding the entire cost of the system, including
the operation of the system; and
(C) the correctional facility that operates the
system shall--
(i) before implementing the system, consult
with local law enforcement agencies and other
public safety officials in the area in which
the facility is located; and
(ii) submit to the Director of the Bureau
of Prisons a notification regarding that
operation.
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