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S 3629 109th Congress Senate Crime and Law Enforcement Commerce Compensation for victims of crime Congress Congressional investigations Congressional reporting requirements Education Federal Prison Industries, Inc. Foreign Trade and International Finance Government Operations and Politics Government corporations Government procurement Imports Imprisonment Labor and Employment Manufacturing industries Prison labor Rehabilitation of criminals Subcontractors

POWER Act

Introduced: June 29, 2006 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 29, 2006
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jun 29, 2006
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Prisoner Opportunity, Work, and Education Requirement Act or the POWER Act - Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require federal prison inmates to: (1) work for not less than 50 hours weekly; and (2) engage in job training and educational and life skills preparation study.

Requires Federal Prison Industries (a government corporation) to employ inmates in manufacturing activities by subcontracting with private sector contractors. Requires inmate wages earned in a 50-hour work week program to be used for the costs of incarceration, victim restitution, inmate expenses, and related state and local prisoner programs.

Repeals certain provisions restricting the funding of, and purchase of products from, Federal Prison Industries.

Directs the Attorney General to establish the Foreign Labor Substitute Panel to review pilot projects by U.S. companies for the manufacture of goods by federal convicts that would otherwise be manufactured by foreign labor.

Revises federal criminal code provisions to restate the mission, operating objectives, performance standards, and other requirements for Federal Prison Industries.

Requires the Comptroller General to provide for annual independent evaluations of the operations of Federal Prison Industries and to report to Congress on such evaluations (currently, the Board of Directors of Federal Prison Industries is required to report to Congress).

What's happening now June 29, 2006

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1