Illinois Rep. Mayfield’s mail fee restriction bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Rita Mayfield aims to limit mail fees for people in custody and restrict revenue from communication services following House and Senate approval, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 67 Democrats and 34 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 40 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Mayfield introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Dec. 16, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB4235, was passed on May 21, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall ensure that a committed person and the committed person’s correspondents are not charged any fee, surcharge, or cost for mail communication or mail scanning services that exceed the standard postage rate set by the United States Postal Service. Provides that the Department shall not charge the committed person or correspondent any fee, surcharge, or cost for any incoming mail addressed to and received by the committed person, including any material received through mail scanning services. Provides that the Department shall not charge the committed person any fee, surcharge, or cost for outgoing mail delivery or mail scanning services that exceeds the postage rate set by the United States Postal Service for any outgoing mail. Provides that the Department or any third-party vendor that the Department contracts with, shall not impose any fee, surcharge, or cost to the committed person above the United States Postal Service rate for mail communication, including the delivery or scanning of mail. Provides that the Department shall not use the provision of voice communication services, mail communication, mail scanning services, or any other communication services to supplant in-person contact visits. Provides that the Department shall not receive revenue, directly or indirectly, from the provision of voice communications, mail communication, mail scanning services, or other communication services to a person in custody in any institutions and facilities of the Department. Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, the Department shall annually report to the General Assembly on the status of any communication services contracts and plans to consolidate contracts to maximize purchasing power for voice communication services, mail communication services, and all other communication services. Provides that the Department shall post the report on its website. Effective immediately.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill bars the Illinois Department of Corrections and its vendors from charging people in custody or their correspondents more than the standard U.S. Postal Service postage rate for mail delivery or mail scanning, and prohibits any fees for incoming mail. It forbids the department from using mail, phone, video or other communication services to replace in-person contact visits and from receiving any direct or indirect revenue from these communication services. Beginning July 1, 2027, the department must file an annual report to the General Assembly and post it online detailing communication contracts, rates charged, use of appropriated funds and usage data. The bill takes effect immediately.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (Democrat-21st District), Rep. Barbara Hernandez (Democrat-50th District), and Rep. Carol Ammons (Democrat-103rd District), along with 11 other sponsors.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Mayfield graduated from Columbia College in 2002 with a BS.

Mayfield, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2010 to represent the state’s 60th House District, replacing previous state representative Eddie Washington.

Some lawmakers were in the chamber but did not cast any vote, listed as “Not Voting”. Others were not present—either marked “Absent” without explanation or noted as having an “Excused Absence” due to personal or medical reasons.