[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1545

To require schools and libraries receiving universal service assistance 
  to install systems or implement policies for blocking or filtering 
Internet access to matter inappropriate for minors, to require a study 
  of available Internet blocking or filtering software, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 5, 1999

 Mr. Santorum introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require schools and libraries receiving universal service assistance 
  to install systems or implement policies for blocking or filtering 
Internet access to matter inappropriate for minors, to require a study 
  of available Internet blocking or filtering software, 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 ``Neighborhood Children's Internet 
Protection Act''.

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

    (a) No Universal Service.--
            (1) In general.--Section 254 of the Communications Act of 
        1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
    ``(l) Implementation of Internet Filtering or Blocking System or 
Use Policies.--
            ``(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) to the Commission or its designee.
            ``(2) Certification.--A certification under this paragraph 
        with respect to a school or library is a certification by the 
        school, school board, or other authority with responsibility 
        for administration of the school, or the library, or any other 
        entity representing the school or library in applying for 
        universal service assistance, that the school or library--
                    ``(A) has--
                            ``(i) selected a system for its computers 
                        with Internet access that are dedicated to 
                        student use in order to filter or block 
                        Internet access to matter considered to be 
                        inappropriate for minors; and
                            ``(ii) installed on such computers, or upon 
                        obtaining such computers will install on such 
                        computers, a system to filter or block Internet 
                        access to such matter; or
                    ``(B)(i) has adopted or implemented an Internet use 
                policy that addresses--
                            ``(I) access by minors to inappropriate 
                        matter on the Internet and World Wide Web;
                            ``(II) the safety and security of minors 
                        when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and 
                        other forms of direct electronic 
                        communications;
                            ``(III) unauthorized access, including so-
                        called `hacking', and other unlawful activities 
                        by minors online;
                            ``(IV) unauthorized disclosure, use, and 
                        dissemination of personal identification 
                        information regarding minors; and
                            ``(V) whether the school or library, as the 
                        case may be, is employing hardware, software, 
                        or other technological means to limit, monitor, 
                        or otherwise control or guide Internet access 
                        by minors; and
                    ``(ii) provided reasonable public notice and held 
                at least one public hearing or meeting which addressed 
                the proposed Internet use policy.
            ``(3) Local determination of content.--For purposes of a 
        certification under paragraph (2), the determination regarding 
        what matter is inappropriate for minors shall be made by the 
        school board, library, or other authority responsible for 
        making the determination. No agency or instrumentality of the 
        United States Government may--
                    ``(A) establish criteria for making such 
                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).
            ``(4) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with 
        respect to schools and libraries seeking universal service 
        assistance under subsection (h)(1)(B) on or after July 1, 
        2000.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Subsection (h)(1)(B) of that 
        section is amended by striking ``All telecommunications'' and 
        inserting ``Except as provided by subsection (l), all 
        telecommunications''.
    (b) Study.--Not later than 150 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration shall initiate a notice and comment proceeding for 
purposes of--
            (1) evaluating whether or not currently available 
        commercial Internet blocking and filtering software adequately 
        addresses the needs of educational institutions;
            (2) making recommendations on how to foster the development 
        of products which meet such needs; and
            (3) evaluating the development and effectiveness of local 
        Internet use policies that are currently in operation after 
        community input.

SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS.

    Not later than 100 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Federal Communications Commission shall adopt rules implementing 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
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