[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1180 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1180

  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require Internet access 
 providers to provide screening software to permit parents to control 
                   Internet access by their children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 20, 1997

  Mr. McDade introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require Internet access 
 providers to provide screening software to permit parents to control 
                   Internet access by their children.

    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 ``Family-Friendly Internet Access Act 
of 1997''.

SEC. 2. INTERNET ACCESS PROVIDERS REQUIRED TO MAKE SCREENING SOFTWARE 
              AVAILABLE.

    (a) Limitation on Rate Regulation.--Section 230 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections 
        (e) and (f), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(d) Obligations of Internet Access Providers.--An Internet access 
provider shall, at the time of entering an agreement with a customer 
for the provision of Internet access services, offer such customer 
screening software that is designed to permit the customer to limit 
access to material that is unsuitable for children. Such software shall 
be provided either at no charge or for a fee that does not exceed the 
cost of such software to such provider.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end of subsection (f) (as redesignated 
        by paragraph (1) of this subsection) the following new 
        paragraphs:
            ``(5) Internet access provider.--The term `Internet access 
        provider' means a person engaged in the business of providing a 
        computer and communications facility through which a customer 
        may obtain access to the Internet, but does not include a 
        common carrier to the extent that it provides only transmission 
        and routing services.
            ``(6) Internet access services.--The term `Internet access 
        services' means the provision of computer and communications 
        services through which a customer using a computer and a modem 
        or other communications device may obtain access to the 
        Internet, but does not include transmission and routing 
        services provided by a common carrier.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 223(h)(2) of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(h)(2)) is amended by striking ``230(e)(2)'' 
and inserting ``230(f)(2)''.
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