SENATE, No. 84

By Mr. Joyce, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 84) of Brian A. Joyce for legislation to protect children from harmful information found on the internet. Children and Families

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Five.


AN ACT TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL INFORMATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after section 89 the following new section:-
Every school installing or maintaining computers with access to the Internet shall adopt an Internet Access Plan ensuring that minors on or using school property or as part of any school-sponsored activity will be protected from dangerous, illegal or obscene materials accessible on the Internet. This plan should detail the steps the schools will take to protect children from dangerous, illegal, or obscene Internet information, and should include a specific plan for the first year of implementation, and a description of how the plan shall be monitored, evaluated, and, where applicable, revised.

Said Internet Access Plan shall be in writing and shall be formally adopted by each school on an annual basis. A copy of each school's Internet Access Plan shall be forwarded to the Department of Education. Said plan shall be submitted by September 1, 2005, and updated annually.

SECTION 2. Chapter 78 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2002 Official Edition is hereby amended by adding after section 19N the following new section:--
Every public library installing or maintaining computers with access to the Internet shall adopt an Internet Access Plan ensuring that minors will be protected from dangerous, illegal or obscene materials accessible on the Internet. This plan should detail the steps the library will take to protect children from dangerous, illegal, or obscene Internet information, and should include a specific plan for the first year of implementation, and a description of how the plan shall be monitored, evaluated, and, where applicable, revised.

Said Internet Access Plan shall be in writing and shall be formally adopted by each library on an annual basis. A copy of each library's Internet Access Plan shall be forwarded to the board of library commissioners. Said plan shall be submitted by September 1, 2005, and updated annually.