This bill would allow state and federal prisons and jails to use cellphone jamming equipment without Federal Communications Commission (FCC) interference. Currently, the FCC prohibits jamming technology because it can disrupt legitimate wireless communications. The legislation removes that FCC restriction, allowing correctional facilities to block contraband phone calls and communications from inmates within housing units. Facilities would be required to consult with local law enforcement before deploying jamming systems and notify federal authorities of their use, while state correctional facilities must fund the equipment and operations themselves. The bill aims to help prison administrators combat the use of smuggled cellphones, which are often used to coordinate criminal activity, but would eliminate broad FCC oversight of these communications-disrupting technologies.
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