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1997 SESSION

970563324
HOUSE BILL NO. 1624
Offered January 8, 1997
Prefiled December 19, 1996
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1 a section numbered 22.1-212.5, relating to education; school-based access to information infrastructure.
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Patrons-- Marshall and McDonnell
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Referred to Committee on Education
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1 a section numbered 22.1-212.5 as follows:

§ 22.1-212.5. School-based computer access to information infrastructure.

A. For the purpose of this section:

"Content-filtering technology or software" means computer technology or software blocking access to selected computer services, sites or files.

"Information infrastructure" means telecommunications, cable, and computer networks and includes the Internet, the World Wide Web, Usenet, bulletin board systems, on-line systems, and telephone networks.

"Sexually explicit content" means any (i) description of or (ii) picture, photograph, drawing, motion picture film, digital image or similar visual representation depicting, sexual bestiality, a lewd exhibition of nudity, as nudity is defined in § 18.2-390, sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse, as also defined in § 18.2-390, coprophilia, urophilia, or fetishism.

B. Public elementary and secondary schools enabling students to access the Internet, Usenet, the World Wide Web or other components of the information infrastructure via computers or computer connections furnished by such schools shall comply with the following:

1. All World Wide Web pages, Gopher pages or similar pages sponsored by such schools containing student names and other identifying information about students shall contain the following warning:

"Warning: Information contained on this page relates to juveniles. All persons accessing this information are subject to the provisions of the Virginia Criminal Code (Title 18.2 of the Virginia Code)."

2. All computer systems made available to students shall utilize (i) routers, proxy servers or similar technological devices limiting student computer access to preselected computer services, sites or files having content consistent with such schools' educational missions and/or (ii) content-filtering technology or software inhibiting student access to computer services, sites or files having sexually explicit content.

3. No student shall be permitted to access information infrastructure services via any school's computer system unless the student's parent or guardian has furnished prior, written authorization for such access. For this purpose, each school shall utilize an authorization form containing (i) a description of each information infrastructure service offered for student use and (ii) separate signature lines or check boxes adjacent to each such description by which parents or guardians shall indicate which services students are authorized to use. Schools may condition students' use of such services upon first obtaining written liability releases from students' parents or guardians.

4. On or before September 1, 1997, the State Board of Education shall develop and distribute to all schools within its jurisdiction, written guidelines for school-sponsored student access to information infrastructure services.