[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H13593-H13594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DIRECTING PROVISION OF GRANTS FOR INTERNET CRIME PREVENTION EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4134) to direct the Attorney General to provide grants for
Internet crime prevention education programs.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4134
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. GRANTS FOR INTERNET CRIME PREVENTION EDUCATION
PROGRAMS.
(a) Grant for I-Safe.--
(1) Grant.--Subject to the availability of the funds
authorized to be appropriated under paragraph (2), the
Attorney General shall provide a grant to i-Safe, Inc., to
carry out Internet crime prevention education programs.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $5,000,000 for grants under paragraph (1)
for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
(b) Competitive Grant Program.--
(1) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of the
funds authorized to be appropriated under paragraph (2), the
Attorney General shall create and administer a competitive
grants program for organizations to carry out Internet crime
prevention education programs.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $5,000,000 for grants under paragraph (1)
for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
SEC. 2. INTERNET CRIME PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAMS DEFINED.
(a) In General.--The term ``Internet crime prevention
education programs'' means programs that serve to educate
parents, children, educators, and communities about how to
recognize and prevent potentially criminal activity on the
Internet.
(b) Related Definitions.--
(1) Potentially criminal activity.--The term ``potentially
criminal activity'' includes access through the Internet and
other electronic devices to potentially illegal activity
including sexual or racial harassment, cyberbullying, sexual
exploitation, exposure to pornography, and privacy
violations.
(2) Cyberbullying.--The term ``cyberbullying'' includes
verbal, visual, or written psychological bullying or
harassment by an individual or group, using an electronic
device or devices including e-mail, instant messaging, text
messages, blogs, telephones, pagers, and websites, to support
deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior that is intended
to harm others.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent all Members have 5
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Members of the House, there are many ways to address criminal
behavior on the Internet as reflected by the measures that we have
already passed this afternoon. Without question, it is critical that
Internet sex offenders be identified, arrested, prosecuted and punished
as the law provides.
Nevertheless, Internet safety must begin with prevention, especially
with our children. They must be taught how to use the Internet safely
and how to avoid Internet behavior that puts them at risk. So H.R. 4134
authorizes that the Department of Justice administer grants for the
purpose of teaching our children Internet safety.
This is an excellent measure that deserves our support. I commend the
chairman of our fifth committee in Judiciary, Linda Sanchez of
California, for her leadership on this very critical issue, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4134 which directs the
Attorney General to provide grants to I-Safe, Incorporated for Internet
safety education programs.
I-Safe provides a number of Internet safety programs with Federal
Government agencies, including the Justice Department and the Federal
Trade Commission.
Crime prevention is an important component in promoting safe
communities. Internet safety programs help to raise the awareness of
Internet users, children and parents, to the dangers on the Internet.
H.R. 4134 authorizes $5 million to I-Safe, Incorporated to promote
Internet safety. I-Safe is a worthy program, and I support the
legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to recognize the chairman
of our subcommittee and the author of this measure, Linda Sanchez of
California, for as much time as she may consume.
Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. I want to thank Chairman Conyers
for his support of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4134, the Internet Crime
Prevention Education Program Act. This bill will authorize funding for
the i-SAFE program for 5 years and create a new grant competition to
provide funds for like-minded Internet safety and crime prevention
programs. This new grant program will support and enhance the efforts
of schools, law enforcement agencies and parents to give children the
skills they need to avoid potential criminal activity on the Internet.
By bringing this bill to the floor today, the leadership of the House
on both sides of the aisle has demonstrated that it recognizes that our
children are in danger from cyberbullying, identity theft,
cyberstalking and harassment and other potential cybercrimes.
These are very real threats and they demand real action, and I am
proud that we are united in this effort. Although adults, even those
with children, don't always realize it, children face a myriad of
online dangers whenever they use chat rooms, instant messages and e-
mail. They could come across predators, financial scams, or
inappropriate content when they go online to do things as innocent as
research for school assignments.
The Internet is a powerful tool for progress that is transforming the
way our society obtains and shares information. But unfortunately the
Internet also carries risks when misused as an avenue for predators,
bullies and thieves. Last year, one in five children received a sexual
solicitation or were inappropriately approached via the Internet.
Unfortunately, numerous
[[Page H13594]]
children have already become victims of unspeakable physical harm or
have suffered irreparable mental injuries from online predators.
Sexual predators are not the only danger facing youth online. As
bizarre as it may seem to those of us old enough that we didn't have
these technologies when we were in school, bullies are using their cell
phones and the Internet to torment their peers. This literally means
that kids can be bullied any hour of the day or night and even within
their own homes. And because it is not face to face, cyberbullying can
be much crueler and present a whole new set of dangers.
Cyberbullying can have serious consequences and inflict lasting
wounds on young people. Studies have found that bullying can negatively
impact the academic performance, self-esteem, and mental and physical
health of children. Whenever I discuss bullying, I inevitably hear one
person ask, ``What is wrong with a little bullying? It makes you
stronger. It builds character.'' Builds character? Really? It is
important to realize that students who are bullied are more likely to
be depressed and commit suicide.
So many of the horrifying school shootings in recent years have been
linked to bullying that it can no longer be viewed as a rite of
passage. Bullying and harassment must be treated as the violent and
damaging behaviors that they are.
This bill, the Internet Crime Prevention Education Program Act, is
just one part of a package of bills that I have introduced to keep our
kids safe by tackling bullying and harassment.
i-SAFE is the perfect example of an organization that shares this
goal. i-SAFE, Incorporated is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to
protecting the online experience of youth by incorporating classroom
curriculum with community outreach to make the Internet a safer place.
The i-SAFE program is free for schools, school districts, law
enforcement, communities, and parents in large part because of the
congressional funding it has received on a bipartisan basis since 2002.
i-SAFE has provided over 3 million children in 50 States with the tools
to protect themselves on the Internet.
After participating in the i-SAFE program, 91 percent of students say
that they will make better choices about where they go on the Internet,
87 percent say they will be more careful about sharing personal
information in chat rooms, and 75 percent say they are less likely to
meet someone from the Internet in person.
Law enforcement, which deserves praise for pursuing cybercriminals
needs the help of programs like i-SAFE, the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children, the National Crime Prevention Council, Web Wise
Kids, Netsmartz, and Teen Angels, to help reduce online crimes through
prevention.
When used the right way, the Internet can be a valuable educational
resource and allow for extended social networks. It is our
responsibility to ensure that children are able to enjoy all of the
benefits of the Internet armed with the knowledge of how to stay safe.
I therefore urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4134.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Ms. Linda
Sanchez's legislation, which would make grants available for Internet
safety education programs.
Advances in technology have resulted in new conveniences, greater
access to information, and the ability to correspond easily and quickly
with individuals around the world. However, the recent explosion of
social networking sites and internet chat-rooms has also created
opportunities for predators to target children easily and anonymously.
Eighty-seven percent of teens use the internet on a regular basis,
and according to the Justice Department, one in five children between
the ages of ten and seventeen has received a sexual solicitation or has
been approached online in the last year. The internet provides students
with a world of information and has become a necessity in many of our
everyday lives, yet it unfortunately can expose our kids to a world of
potential dangers without adequate protections.
For example, early this year a teenage girl in Florida was found one
day after she snuck out of her house to meet who she thought was a 24-
year-old man she met on MySpace, but turned out to be a 46-year-old
high-risk sex offender. Several social networking sites have
implemented some security measures, but sex offenders have found ways
to get around them. That is why I applaud efforts such as those by
Attorney General Cuomo to ensure that social networking sites meet the
safety standards they advertise.
It is imperative that we do everything we can to make the internet as
safe as possible for our children. At the local level, many of our law
enforcement agencies and schools are doing wonderful work using
internet safety curriculum to educate students on how to avoid
dangerous, inappropriate, or unlawful online behavior.
As a mother and grandmother, I am fighting at the federal level to
reduce the risk that our children face online from child predators.
That is why I am so pleased that today the House is considering five
different pieces of legislation, several of which I have cosponsored,
that promote internet safety and crack down on child pornography.
Ms. Sanchez's bill would create a grant program for organizations
that promote internet safety. These grants will help crime safety
groups such as the National Crime Prevention Council develop programs
to better educate children, parents, teachers, libraries, and others on
the dangers of potential online criminal activity and cyberbullying.
The SAFER Net Act, sponsored by Ms. Bean, authorizes $5 million for a
national public awareness campaign to promote internet safety. Several
internet safety programs exist, but the federal government must do a
better job ensuring that parents and schools are able to utilize those
programs.
Mr. Pomeroy's KIDS Act would close a dangerous loophole by requiring
sexual offenders to include e-mail addresses and instant messaging
screen names when complying with registration and notification laws.
Notification laws have enabled parents to know when a sexual predator
has moved into their neighborhood, but not their inbox.
As a member of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children
Caucus, I know that the passage of this series of bills is a
significant step in our efforts to protect children as they use the
internet.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers remaining, so I will
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. I have no further speakers, and I yield back my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4134.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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