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To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for additional prohibitions and enhanced penalties for providing or possessing wireless communications devices in detention facilities, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill makes it unlawful to provide, facilitate introduction of, or possess wireless communications devices in detention facilities in violation of federal or state law. It establishes civil forfeiture penalties of up to $50,000 per violation (capped at $1,000,000 for continuing violations) and criminal fines of up to $50,000 for willful violations. The statute of limitations for civil forfeiture violations is two years. Wireless communications devices are defined as any device that enables sending or receiving radio communications or components that enable connection to communications networks. The law does not prohibit lawful investigative or protective activities by law enforcement agencies.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
6 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Gus M. Bilirakis’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Gus M. Bilirakis → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- May 23, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. · house
- May 23, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 23, 2025
Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mr. Weber of Texas, and Mr. Balderson) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for additional prohibitions and enhanced penalties for providing or possessing wireless communications devices in detention facilities, and for other purposes.
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 “Eliminate Non-approved Devices and Contraband Electronics Limiting Links to Society Act” or the “END CELLS Act”.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934.
Title V of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 501 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 512. PROVIDING OR POSSESSING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES IN DETENTION FACILITIES.
“(a) Prohibited Acts.—It shall be unlawful for any person—
“(1) in violation of any Federal or State statute or rule, or order issued under such statute or rule, to provide or attempt to provide to a person held in a detention facility a wireless communications device;
“(2) to willfully and knowingly facilitate the introduction, in violation of any Federal or State statute or rule, or order issued under such statute or rule, of a wireless communications device into a detention facility; or
“(3) being a person held in a detention facility, to possess or obtain, or attempt to obtain, a wireless communications device in violation of a Federal or State statute or rule, or order issued under such statute or rule.
“(b) Penalties.—
“(1) Civil forfeiture.—
“(A) Amount.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of section 503(b), the amount of any forfeiture penalty determined or imposed under such section for a violation of subsection (a) shall not exceed $50,000 for each violation or each day of a continuing violation, except that the amount assessed for any continuing violation shall not exceed a total of $1,000,000 for any single act or failure to act.
“(B) No citation required.—Paragraph (5) of section 503(b) shall not apply in the case of a violation of subsection (a).
“(C) 2-year statute of limitations.— Notwithstanding paragraph (6) of section 503(b), no forfeiture penalty for violation of subsection (a) shall be determined or imposed against any person if the violation charged occurred more than 2 years prior to the date of issuance of the notice required by paragraph (3) of section 503(b) or the notice of apparent liability required by paragraph (4) of section 503(b) (as the case may be).
“(2) Criminal fine.—Any person who willfully and knowingly violates subsection (a) shall upon conviction thereof be fined not more than $50,000 for each violation, in lieu of the fine provided by section 501 for such a violation. Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede the provisions of section 501 relating to imprisonment or the imposition of a penalty of both fine and imprisonment.
“(c) Effect on Other Laws.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to—
“(1) prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States; or
“(2) prevent the chief legal officer, or any other officer, of a State from exercising the powers conferred on such officer by the laws of such State to enforce State law, including punishing those found guilty of violating State law.
“(d) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Detention facility.—The term ‘detention facility’ means a correctional, detention, or penal facility located within the United States.
“(2) Wireless communications device.—The term ‘wireless communications device’ means—
“(A) a device that enables the user to send or receive a radio communication, regardless of whether a license from the Commission is required for the use or operation of such device; or
“(B) a component that provides identification or authentication to enable a device described in subparagraph (A) to connect to a communications network.”.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendment made by this Act shall apply with respect to conduct that occurs after the date of the enactment of this Act. <all>
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