H.R. 9903: Stop Prison Price Gouging Act of 2026

This bill would require the Bureau of Prisons to keep the prices of commissary items in federal prisons at or below the fair market value for the state where the prison is located.

What would change

• The Bureau of Prisons Director would have to set commissary prices no higher than the typical retail price for the same or similar item sold to the general public in that state.
• To determine fair market value, the Bureau would have to use prices from multiple sources, such as national retail chains, regional stores, online retailers that sell in that state, and similar commercial sources.
• Prices charged by prisons, jails, or other restricted markets could not be used to set the benchmark.

How prison commissary contracts would work

• The Bureau of Prisons would have to use a competitive bidding process when contracting for commissary goods.
• The Bureau could not enter into commissary contracts that include revenue sharing.

Monitoring and reporting

• The Bureau of Prisons would have to review commissary prices within one month after the law takes effect, and then every month after that, to make sure prices stay within the required limit.
• Each year, the Bureau would have to send Congress a report for every federal prison facility listing:
  • each commissary item available and its price, and
  • a summary of any commissary contracts, including the contract terms.
• The Government Accountability Office would have to audit each Bureau of Prisons facility every year to check whether the pricing rule is being followed.

Plain-language effect

In practical terms, the bill is meant to limit how much federal prisons can charge incarcerated people for commissary goods, while also increasing oversight of how those goods are purchased and priced.

Relevant Companies

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