[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 22]
[House]
[Pages 31042-31044]
[From the U.S. 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.

[[Page 31043]]

  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, 1 in 5 children received a sexual 
solicitation or were inappropriately approached via the Internet. 
Unfortunately, numerous 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. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4134, the Internet 
Crime Prevention Education Program Act.
  In recent years, the Internet has grown to be a thriving educational 
resource. Adults and children alike have become dependent upon the 
Internet to provide an abundance of information at their fingertips. 
However, this wonderful educational resource may also expose young 
people to new dangers, such as the 750,000 online predators children 
may encounter every time they surf the web. In fact, one in five 
children received an online sexual solicitation last year alone.
  The prevalence of online predators is a frightening reality and it is 
clear to me that something must be done. For this reason, it is 
essential that we provide our schools and law enforcement agents with 
the necessary tools to teach children how to protect themselves from 
these Internet dangers.
  The bill before us today provides grants for Internet crime 
prevention education and takes us one step closer to making the 
Internet a safer place for kids. It is important that we support 
programs like i-SAFE, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to 
protecting youth online through developing the resources to teach 
internet safety. The competitive grant program created by H.R. 4134 
will provide funds to organizations dedicated to Internet crime 
prevention education. Through education and awareness, we can ensure a 
more hospitable web environment, so that children may be free to 
utilize the benefits of the Internet without being exposed to its 
dangers.
  Mr. Speaker, I intend to support the legislation before us and I call 
on this body to vote in favor of Internet crime prevention.

[[Page 31044]]


  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.

                          ____________________