Fair Access and Individual Responsibilities Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-5386
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14]
Introduced: 2004-11-18 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Bank accounts
Business records
Chief executive officers
Child support
Collective bargaining
Commerce
Compensation for victims of crime
Competition
Competitive bidding
Corporate governance
Correctional institutions
Credit unions
Department of Justice
Economics and Public Finance
Employee rights
Evaluation research (Social action programs)
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal Prison Industries, Inc.
Federal advisory bodies
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial planning
Financial services
Garnishment
Government Operations and Politics
Government and business
Government corporations
Government procurement
Government publicity
Health
Hours of labor
Income tax
Industrial arbitration
Industrial relations
Labor and Employment
Labor contracts
Labor disputes
Labor productivity
Labor statistics
Labor unions
Law
Minimum wages
Nonprofit organizations
Occupational health and safety
Paternity
Payroll deductions
Personal budgets
Prison administration
Prison labor
Prisoners
Prisoners' rights
Profit
Saving and investment
Social Welfare
Subsidies
Support of dependents
Taxation
Trade associations
Vocational and technical education
Wages
Withholding tax
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2004-11-18
text: 
Fair Access and Individual Responsibilities Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal criminal code to double the number of members of the board of directors of Federal Prison Industries (FPI), provide for their appointment by the Attorney General, and designate the Director of the Bureau of Prisons as FPI's chief executive officer. Directs the Attorney General to appoint an independent review panel to advise the board regarding the type and quantity of products to be produced and conditions of hire and work. Makes the Attorney General responsible for protecting Federal inmate participation rights and for facilitating their ability to meet financial responsibilities through successful competitive participation in the U.S. economy.
 
Designates prison industries as Class A (established as of December 31, 2002), B (established on or after January 1, 2005, and carried out by a competitive, independent, taxpaying entity), C (carried out by a private entity located in a Federal correctional institution), and D (pilot industries created to test reform of inmate employment and prison industries) industries.
 
Repeals (with an exception) requirements regarding the purchase of prison-made products by Federal departments on December 31, 2010. Authorizes the Attorney General to make matching grants to specified organizations to attract firms and create business entities in Federal and State correctional settings. Requires the Director to establish procedures to ensure that inmate workers have the right to join a labor organization and engage in collective bargaining.
 
Directs the Attorney General to modify correctional practices to improve the attractiveness and efficiency of Federal correctional facilities to ensure maximum inmate employment at prevailing wages.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-11-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2004-11-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-11-18
text: Introduced in House