[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S2025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PRYOR:
  S. 602. A bill to develop the next generation of parental control 
technology; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I wish to introduce two communications 
bills. First, I am introducing the Child Safe Viewing Act, a bill to 
develop the next generation of parental control technology. Last year, 
following several hearings and forums on decency, I concluded that the 
V-Chip is not an adequate solution for parents to prevent their 
children from viewing adult content, especially in a world of 500 
channels and video streaming.
  During the 1996 Telecommunications Act debate, President Clinton 
urged inclusion of a mandatory V-Chip device, and in collaboration with 
Congress, the FCC, and the entertainment industry, the V-Chip was born. 
The V-Chip was an important beginning to control child access to adult 
material. Over a decade has passed since the 1996 act, and the world of 
communications has changed. However, the issues that inspired the V-
Chip continue to exist today for not only television but for the 
Internet and other video streaming devices.
  The Child Safe Viewing Act is a pragmatic approach to addressing the 
pitfalls of video content not intended for kids, and it acts on current 
law. It simply directs the Federal Communications Commission to begin a 
proceeding on the requirements in section 551 of the V-Chip law. 
Section 551 states that the Commission shall take action on alternative 
blocking technology as it is developed. This mandate is clear and the 
time has come. We must engage in this issue now to ensure that families 
have the tools to keep inappropriate and sometimes dangerous material 
out of their children's view.
  I am also introducing ED 1.0, a bill to advance online higher 
education opportunities for minorities. Last Congress, Senator Allen 
and I introduced a bill that would establish a digital and wireless 
network technology program for minority-serving institutions, and it 
was reported favorably by the Commerce Committee. Regrettably, I am 
concerned that the cost of the bill will prohibit it from moving in 
this Congress. But the needs to this Nation's minorities are not 
standing still.
  ED 1.0 would allow some of our goals to move forward now by creating 
a pilot online degree program at four minority-serving institutions. 
African-American, Hispanic, and tribal serving colleges and 
universities in socially and economically disadvantaged areas would be 
eligible to participate in this program to help define what works in 
ensuring that minorities are obtaining higher education degrees.
  With the high costs of networks and limited availability of 
resources, the program would provide a national ``lessons learned'' 
about how to develop and implement flexible degree programs in fields 
such as health or education, which are currently underserved in the 
disadvantaged community. The goals of ED 1.0 will make education a 
reality for thousands of Americans, and I hope this bill will have the 
support of my colleagues.
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