Fee communication services provided for confined persons.

HF 1861 requires state correctional facilities and certain human services programs to provide free communication services (like phone calls, video calls, and messaging) to people confined in those settings. It prohibits charging inmates or their contacts for these services and mandates that facilities maintain in-person visitation programs instead of replacing them with virtual options. The bill also requires detailed annual reporting on communication service contracts, spending of funds, and usage data. This directly affects incarcerated individuals in Minnesota correctional facilities and residents in state-operated human services programs.