[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 368 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 368

   To require the installation of a system for filtering or blocking 
   matter on the Internet on computers in schools and libraries with 
                Internet access, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 19, 1999

   Mr. Franks of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the installation of a system for filtering or blocking 
   matter on the Internet on computers in schools and libraries with 
                Internet access, 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 ``Safe Schools Internet Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. NO UNIVERSAL SERVICE FOR SCHOOLS OR LIBRARIES THAT FAIL TO 
              IMPLEMENT A FILTERING OR BLOCKING SYSTEM FOR COMPUTERS 
              WITH INTERNET ACCESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:
    ``(l) Implementation of a Filtering or Blocking System.--
            ``(1) In general.--No services may be provided under 
        subsection (h)(1)(B) to any elementary or secondary school, or 
        any library, unless it provides the certification required by 
        paragraph (2) or (3), respectively.
            ``(2) Certification for schools.--Before receiving 
        universal service assistance under subsection (h)(1)(B), an 
        elementary or secondary school (or the school board or other 
        authority with responsibility for administration of that 
        school) shall certify to the Commission that it has--
                    ``(A) selected a system for computers with Internet 
                access to filter or block matter deemed to be 
                inappropriate for minors; and
                    ``(B) installed, or will install as soon as it 
                obtains computers with Internet access, a system to 
                filter or block such matter.
            ``(3) Certification for libraries.--Before receiving 
        universal service assistance under subsection (h)(1)(B), a 
        library that has a computer with Internet access shall certify 
        to the Commission that, on one or more of its computers with 
        Internet access, it employs a system to filter or block matter 
        deemed to be inappropriate for minors. If a library that makes 
        a certification under this paragraph changes the system it 
        employs or ceases to employ any such system, it shall notify 
        the Commission within 10 days after implementing the change or 
        ceasing to employ the system.
            ``(4) Local determination of content.--For purposes of 
        paragraphs (2) and (3), the determination of what matter is 
        inappropriate for minors shall be made by the school, school 
        board, library or other authority responsible for making the 
        required certification. No agency or instrumentality of the 
        United States Government may--
                    ``(A) establish criteria for making that 
                determination;
                    ``(B) review the determination made by the 
                certifying school, school board, library, or other 
                authority; or
                    ``(C) consider the criteria employed by the 
                certifying school, school board, library, or other 
                authority in the administration of subsection 
                (h)(1)(B).''.
    (b) Conforming Change.--Section 254(h)(1)(B) of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(1)(B)) is amended by striking ``All 
telecommunications'' and inserting ``Except as provided by subsection 
(l), all telecommunications''.
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