HB6391 Engrossed LRB096 21030 NHT 36880 b

1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
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.)
 
8     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
9 2010.