[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 926 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 926

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to permit Federal prisoners to 
                 engage in community service projects.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 1997

 Mr. McCollum introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to permit Federal prisoners to 
                 engage in community service projects.

    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 ``Prisoner Service Opportunity Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. PRISONER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 303 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 4048. Community service projects
    ``(a) Subject to the limitations of this section, and pursuant to 
rules prescribed by the Attorney General, the chief executive officer 
of a Federal penal or correctional facility may, as part of an inmate 
work program, provide products or services, free of charge or at 
minimal cost, to private, nonprofit organizations (as defined in 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) or to a 
component of any State government or political subdivision thereof.
    ``(b) Products provided under subsection (a) shall be constructed 
in substantial part through the use of scrap or waste materials that 
constitute excess property, as defined in section 3(e) of the Federal 
Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 472(e)). 
Such products shall not be resold by the recipient.
    ``(c) Services provided under subsection (a)--
            ``(1) shall be used only for the benefit of the recipient 
        entity and not for the benefit of any individual or 
        organization other than the recipient; and
            ``(2) shall not displace an employee of the recipient or 
        result in a reduction in hours, wages, or employment benefits 
        of any employee of the recipient.
    ``(d) No goods or services may be provided under this section by a 
Federal penal or correctional facility, if the provision of those goods 
or services would reduce the number of inmates employed at any Federal 
Prison Industries operations at that facility. Nothing this section 
shall be construed to increase or otherwise affect the powers of 
Federal Prison Industries.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 303 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new item:

``4048. Community service projects.''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Federal Property and Administrative Services Act Amendment.--
The second undesignated paragraph of section 602(d) of the Federal 
Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 474), is 
amended--
            (1) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (21) 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph 21 the following:
            ``(22) the Federal Bureau of Prisons with respect to the 
        disposal of property used to produce those products described 
        in section 4048 of title 18, United States Code.''.
    (b) Exception to Prohibition on Shipment of Goods.--Section 1761(b) 
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ``, nor to products provided pursuant to section 
4048 of this title.''.
                                 <all>