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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||||
5 | 27-13.3 as follows: | ||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 5/27-13.3) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 27-13.3. Internet safety education curriculum. | ||||||
8 | (a) The purpose of this Section is to inform and protect | ||||||
9 | students from inappropriate or illegal communications and | ||||||
10 | solicitation and to encourage school districts to provide | ||||||
11 | education about Internet threats and risks, including without | ||||||
12 | limitation child predators, fraud, and other dangers. | ||||||
13 | (b) The General Assembly finds and declares the following: | ||||||
14 | (1) it is the policy of this State to protect consumers | ||||||
15 | and Illinois residents from deceptive and unsafe | ||||||
16 | communications that result in harassment, exploitation, or | ||||||
17 | physical harm; | ||||||
18 | (2) children have easy access to the Internet at home, | ||||||
19 | school, through electronic communication devices, and | ||||||
20 | public places; | ||||||
21 | (3) the Internet is used by sexual predators and other | ||||||
22 | criminals to make initial contact with children and other | ||||||
23 | vulnerable residents in Illinois; and |
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1 | (3.5) the Internet and electronic communication | ||||||
2 | devices can be used to harass or exploit minors through | ||||||
3 | transmitted images or text messages; and | ||||||
4 | (4) education is an effective method for preventing | ||||||
5 | children from falling prey to online predators, identity | ||||||
6 | theft, harassment and exploitation by peers, and other | ||||||
7 | dangers. | ||||||
8 | (c) Each school may adopt an age-appropriate curriculum for | ||||||
9 | Internet safety instruction of students in grades kindergarten | ||||||
10 | through 12. However, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, | ||||||
11 | a school district must incorporate into the school curriculum a | ||||||
12 | component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each | ||||||
13 | school year to students in grades 3 through 12. The school | ||||||
14 | board shall determine the scope and duration of this unit of | ||||||
15 | instruction. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a school | ||||||
16 | district must include in the age-appropriate curriculum topics | ||||||
17 | regarding the appropriate use of electronic communication | ||||||
18 | devices, including, but not limited to, the risks and | ||||||
19 | consequences of dissemination and transmission of sexually | ||||||
20 | explicit images and video. The age-appropriate unit of | ||||||
21 | instruction may be incorporated into the current courses of | ||||||
22 | study regularly taught in the district's schools, as determined | ||||||
23 | by the school board, and it is recommended that the unit of | ||||||
24 | instruction include the following topics: | ||||||
25 | (1) Safe and responsible use of social networking | ||||||
26 | websites, chat rooms, electronic mail, bulletin boards, |
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1 | instant messaging, and other means of communication on the | ||||||
2 | Internet. | ||||||
3 | (2) Recognizing, avoiding, and reporting online | ||||||
4 | solicitations of students, their classmates, and their | ||||||
5 | friends by sexual predators. | ||||||
6 | (3) Risks of transmitting personal information on the | ||||||
7 | Internet. | ||||||
8 | (4) Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive | ||||||
9 | communications received online. | ||||||
10 | (5) Recognizing and reporting online harassment and | ||||||
11 | cyber-bullying. | ||||||
12 | (6) Reporting illegal activities and communications on | ||||||
13 | the Internet. | ||||||
14 | (7) Copyright laws on written materials, photographs, | ||||||
15 | music, and video. | ||||||
16 | (d) Curricula devised in accordance with subsection (c) of | ||||||
17 | this Section may be submitted for review to the Office of the | ||||||
18 | Illinois Attorney General. | ||||||
19 | (e) The State Board of Education shall make available | ||||||
20 | resource materials for educating children regarding child | ||||||
21 | online safety and may take into consideration the curriculum on | ||||||
22 | this subject developed by other states, as well as any other | ||||||
23 | curricular materials suggested by education experts, child | ||||||
24 | psychologists, or technology companies that work on child | ||||||
25 | online safety issues. Materials may include without limitation | ||||||
26 | safe online communications, privacy protection, |
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1 | cyber-bullying, viewing inappropriate material, file sharing, | ||||||
2 | the dissemination and transmission of images and video, and the | ||||||
3 | importance of open communication with responsible adults. The | ||||||
4 | State Board of Education shall make these resource materials | ||||||
5 | available on its Internet website. | ||||||
6 | (Source: P.A. 95-509, eff. 8-28-07; 95-869, eff. 1-1-09; | ||||||
7 | 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)
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8 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
9 | 2010. |