[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10129 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10129

 To authorize the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide postage 
                      stamps to indigent inmates.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 20, 2026

 Ms. Meng (for herself, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. 
    Norton, Ms. Velazquez, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide postage 
                      stamps to indigent inmates.

    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 ``Stamps for Staying Connected Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF POSTAGE STAMPS BY DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF 
              PRISONS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is not later than 6 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the 
Bureau of Prisons of the Department of Justice (hereinafter referred to 
as the ``Director'') shall, to the extent provided in advance in annual 
appropriations Acts, provide postage stamps to any inmate who has 
neither funds nor sufficient postage and who wishes to mail any matter 
(including any mail pertaining to a legal proceeding and any other 
mail).
    (b) Restrictions.--The Director shall impose such restrictions as 
the Director may determine appropriate on the provision of postage 
stamps under subsection (a) to prevent abuse, including the 
accumulation of stamps for unauthorized exchanges between inmates. Such 
restrictions may include the following:
            (1) The Director may not provide more than 5 stamps each 
        week to an inmate, and such stamps may not be collected after 
        the week they are made available. The limitation under this 
        paragraph does not apply in the case of any stamp for mail 
        pertaining to a legal proceeding or an administrative remedy 
        filing.
            (2) The stamps provided may only be in the denomination for 
        first-class, domestic, 1-ounce mailing.
                                 <all>