[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 1965 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1965
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To protect children from cybercrimes, including crimes by online
predators, to enhance efforts to identify and eliminate child
pornography, and to help parents shield their children from material
that is inappropriate for minors.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting
Children in the 21st Century Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--PROMOTING A SAFE INTERNET FOR CHILDREN
Sec. 101. Internet safety.
Sec. 102. Public awareness campaign.
Sec. 103. Annual reports.
Sec. 104. Online safety and technology working group.
Sec. 105. Promoting online safety in schools.
Sec. 106. Definitions.
TITLE II--ENHANCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ENFORCEMENT
Sec. 201. Child pornography prevention; forfeitures related to child
pornography violations.
TITLE I--PROMOTING A SAFE INTERNET FOR CHILDREN
SEC. 101. INTERNET SAFETY.
For the purposes of this title, the issue of Internet safety
includes issues regarding the use of the Internet in a manner that
promotes safe online activity for children, protects children from
cybercrimes, including crimes by online predators, and helps parents
shield their children from material that is inappropriate for minors.
SEC. 102. PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
The Federal Trade Commission shall carry out a nationwide program
to increase public awareness and provide education regarding strategies
to promote the safe use of the Internet by children. The program shall
utilize existing resources and efforts of the Federal Government, State
and local governments, nonprofit organizations, private technology and
financial companies, Internet service providers, World Wide Web-based
resources, and other appropriate entities, that includes--
(1) identifying, promoting, and encouraging best practices
for Internet safety;
(2) establishing and carrying out a national outreach and
education campaign regarding Internet safety utilizing various
media and Internet-based resources;
(3) facilitating access to, and the exchange of,
information regarding Internet safety to promote up-to-date
knowledge regarding current issues; and
(4) facilitating access to Internet safety education and
public awareness efforts the Commission considers appropriate
by States, units of local government, schools, police
departments, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate
entities.
SEC. 103. ANNUAL REPORTS.
The Commission shall submit a report to the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation not later than March 31 of each
year that describes the activities carried out under section 102 by the
Commission during the preceding calendar year.
SEC. 104. ONLINE SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP.
(a) Establishment.--Within 90 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information shall establish an Online Safety and Technology working
group comprised of representatives of relevant sectors of the business
community, public interest groups, and other appropriate groups and
Federal agencies to review and evaluate--
(1) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety
through educational efforts, parental control technology,
blocking and filtering software, age-appropriate labels for
content or other technologies or initiatives designed to
promote a safe online environment for children;
(2) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety
among providers of electronic communications services and
remote computing services by reporting apparent child
pornography under section 13032 of title 42, United States
Code, including amendments made by this Act with respect to the
content of such reports and any obstacles to such reporting;
(3) the practices of electronic communications service
providers and remote computing service providers related to
record retention in connection with crimes against children;
and
(4) the development of technologies to help parents shield
their children from inappropriate material on the Internet.
(b) Report.--Within 1 year after the working group is first
convened, it shall submit a report to the Assistant Secretary and the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that--
(1) describes in detail its findings, including any
information related to the effectiveness of such strategies and
technologies and any information about the prevalence within
industry of educational campaigns, parental control
technologies, blocking and filtering software, labeling, or
other technologies to assist parents; and
(2) includes recommendations as to what types of incentives
could be used or developed to increase the effectiveness and
implementation of such strategies and technologies.
(c) FACA Not To Apply to Working Group.--The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the working group.
SEC. 105. PROMOTING ONLINE SAFETY IN SCHOOLS.
Section 254(h)(5)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
254(h)(5)(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon in clause (i);
(2) by striking ``minors.'' in clause (ii) and inserting
``minors; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) as part of its Internet safety
policy is educating minors about appropriate
online behavior, including interacting with
other individuals on social networking websites
and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness
and response.''.
SEC. 106. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Trade Commission.
(2) Internet.--The term ``Internet'' means collectively the
myriad of computer and telecommunications facilities, including
equipment and operating software, which comprise the
interconnected world-wide network of networks that employ the
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or any
predecessor successor protocols to such protocol, to
communicate information of all kinds by wire or radio.
TITLE II--ENHANCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ENFORCEMENT
SEC. 201. CHILD PORNOGRAPHY PREVENTION; FORFEITURES RELATED TO CHILD
PORNOGRAPHY VIOLATIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 503(b)(1) of the Communications Act of
1934 (47 U.S.C. 503(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' after the semicolon in subparagraph
(C);
(2) by striking ``or 1464'' in subparagraph (D) and
inserting ``1464, or 2252'';
(3) by inserting ``or'' after the semicolon in subparagraph
(D); and
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
``(E) violated any provision of section 227 of the Victims
of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13032);''.
Passed the Senate May 22, 2008.
Attest:
Secretary.
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1965
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To protect children from cybercrimes, including crimes by online
predators, to enhance efforts to identify and eliminate child
pornography, and to help parents shield their children from material
that is inappropriate for minors.