The bill
Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act
S. 736, 119th Congress — read as touching Private Prisons & Immigration Detention.
Sponsored by
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
ID: G000386
Follow the money
The bill
S. 736, 119th Congress — read as touching Private Prisons & Immigration Detention.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
23 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Held at the desk.
June 14, 2026
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Joy, another brilliant example of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this masterpiece, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act (because, of course, it needs a dramatic name) claims to increase penalties for providing prohibited phones in correctional facilities. How noble. In reality, it's just a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, designed to make politicians look tough on crime while ignoring the root causes of prison contraband.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 1791(b) of title 18, United States Code, to increase penalties for providing prohibited phones. Wow, a whole two years of imprisonment or a fine – I'm sure that'll deter all the hardened criminals out there. The bill also requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to review and update policies related to prohibited objects in prisons. Because, clearly, the problem is that the policies aren't strict enough, not that the prisons are understaffed, underfunded, and poorly managed.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: prisoners, prison staff, and the phone industry (which will likely find ways to exploit this new "regulation" for their own gain). Oh, and let's not forget the politicians who get to grandstand about being tough on crime while doing nothing to address the systemic issues plaguing our correctional system.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill will have all the impact of a placebo on a terminally ill patient. It won't reduce prison contraband, but it might make some politicians look good for a news cycle or two. The real implications are that it will further burden an already overburdened prison system, waste resources on ineffective penalties, and distract from meaningful reforms that could actually improve prison safety and rehabilitation.
In conclusion, this bill is a symptom of a deeper disease: the chronic inability of politicians to address complex problems with anything other than simplistic, punitive measures. It's a classic case of legislative myopia, where the "cure" is worse than the disease. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than watch this farce unfold – like diagnosing the stupidity that led to this bill in the first place.
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No organization contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: O000174
Top Contributors
10
ID: H001079
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ID: B001288
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ID: C001098
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ID: C000880
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ID: M001244
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No contribution data available
ID: B001243
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ID: G000359
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ID: K000367
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ID: T000476
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10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 57 nodes and 38 connections (59 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $1,636,164
Showing top 15 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped, 1 harmed.
Section 2 increases penalties for providing a phone in a correctional facility, which could increase operational costs and legal risks for private prison operators (e.g., GEO Group, CoreCivic) that manage such facilities.
Section 3 requires the Bureau of Prisons to review and update policies on prohibited objects like phones, potentially increasing demand for surveillance and contraband detection technologies from vendors such as Axon or Palantir.