This bill would amend federal criminal law to restrict when prisons and jails can charge incarcerated people fees for health care services. It is aimed at people in federal custody, including prisoners who need medical visits, treatment, or related care while incarcerated. The basic policy goal is to make sure access to health care is not reduced or delayed by user fees that can be a barrier for people with little or no income.
What This Bill Does
- Amends title 18 of the U.S. Code.
- Limits the ability to assess a fee for health care services for prisoners.
- Applies to people in federal custody who need medical care.
- Aims to reduce financial barriers to seeking treatment in prison or jail.
Who This Bill Affects
If you are incarcerated in a federal facility, the bill would reduce or eliminate fees that can be charged for health care services, making it cheaper to seek medical attention when you need it. That can matter even for small copays, because incarcerated people often have very limited income and may delay care when there is any out-of-pocket cost. For the general public, the effect is more indirect: it could improve health outcomes in custody and lower the chance that untreated conditions become more serious later.
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- Incarcerated people and their families Families often help cover small account balances, and even modest medical fees can lead people in custody to skip care. Supporters argue that health care should be accessible when a person has no real ability to pay and that delaying treatment can make illnesses worse.
- Public health advocates Medical fees can discourage early reporting of symptoms and routine treatment, which can increase the spread of communicable disease and worsen chronic illness. Supporters say removing the fee barrier improves health inside facilities and in the communities people return to after release.
- Criminal justice reform advocates Because the government is responsible for the health and safety of people it confines, they argue medical care should not function like a user-funded service. They see fee limits as part of a broader effort to reduce harmful consequences of incarceration.
- Correctional administrators Prisons and jails may argue that some health-service fees help discourage unnecessary visits and recover administrative costs. They may worry that eliminating fees could increase demand for nonurgent appointments without adding funding to pay for that demand.
- Budget watchdogs If agencies lose fee revenue, they may need replacement funding from taxpayers to maintain staffing, medical supplies, and provider contracts. Opponents could argue that the bill shifts costs rather than solving the underlying expense of correctional health care.
- Local government finance officials For facilities that rely on inmate medical fees as part of their operating model, the restriction could tighten already strained budgets. They may warn that the change could force hard choices between care quality and other correctional needs.
Key Implications
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““limit the ability to assess a fee””
This signals that correctional systems would have less discretion to charge incarcerated people for medical visits or related services. In practice, that can make seeking care more immediate and less dependent on an inmate's account balance.
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““for health care services for prisoners””
The restriction is focused on medical care, not general commissary purchases or other prison fees. The main real-world effect is on access to treatment, not on every kind of charge a facility may impose.
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““amend title 18, United States Code””
This places the policy within federal criminal law, meaning the change would apply through federal statutory rules rather than a one-off agency policy. That makes it more durable if enacted, and it can shape how federal correctional facilities structure inmate health charges.
Official Source & Bill Facts
BillBoard checks this page against public Congress.gov metadata, then adds plain-English analysis where available.
- Bill
- HR 9525
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- To amend title 18, United States Code, to limit the ability to assess a fee for health care services for prisoners, and for other purposes.
- Policy area
- Criminal Justice
- Latest action
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (June 29, 2026)
- Last updated
- June 30, 2026
Latest Status
June 29, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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