Rep. Emily McAsey

Filed: 3/23/2010

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 6391

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 6391 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
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

 

 

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1     physical harm;
2         (2) children have easy access to the Internet at home,
3     school, through electronic communication devices, and
4     public places;
5         (3) the Internet is used by sexual predators and other
6     criminals to make initial contact with children and other
7     vulnerable residents in Illinois; and
8         (3.5) the Internet and electronic communication
9     devices can be used to harass or exploit minors through
10     transmitted images or text messages; and
11         (4) education is an effective method for preventing
12     children from falling prey to online predators, identity
13     theft, harassment and exploitation by peers, and other
14     dangers.
15     (c) Each school may adopt an age-appropriate curriculum for
16 Internet safety instruction of students in grades kindergarten
17 through 12. However, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year,
18 a school district must incorporate into the school curriculum a
19 component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each
20 school year to students in grades 3 through 12. The school
21 board shall determine the scope and duration of this unit of
22 instruction. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a school
23 district must include in the age-appropriate curriculum topics
24 regarding the appropriate use of electronic communication
25 devices, including, but not limited to, the risks and
26 consequences of dissemination and transmission of sexually

 

 

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1 explicit images and video. The age-appropriate unit of
2 instruction may be incorporated into the current courses of
3 study regularly taught in the district's schools, as determined
4 by the school board, and it is recommended that the unit of
5 instruction include the following topics:
6         (1) Safe and responsible use of social networking
7     websites, chat rooms, electronic mail, bulletin boards,
8     instant messaging, and other means of communication on the
9     Internet.
10         (2) Recognizing, avoiding, and reporting online
11     solicitations of students, their classmates, and their
12     friends by sexual predators.
13         (3) Risks of transmitting personal information on the
14     Internet.
15         (4) Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive
16     communications received online.
17         (5) Recognizing and reporting online harassment and
18     cyber-bullying.
19         (6) Reporting illegal activities and communications on
20     the Internet.
21         (7) Copyright laws on written materials, photographs,
22     music, and video.
23     (d) Curricula devised in accordance with subsection (c) of
24 this Section may be submitted for review to the Office of the
25 Illinois Attorney General.
26     (e) The State Board of Education shall make available

 

 

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1 resource materials for educating children regarding child
2 online safety and may take into consideration the curriculum on
3 this subject developed by other states, as well as any other
4 curricular materials suggested by education experts, child
5 psychologists, or technology companies that work on child
6 online safety issues. Materials may include without limitation
7 safe online communications, privacy protection,
8 cyber-bullying, viewing inappropriate material, file sharing,
9 the dissemination and transmission of images and video, and the
10 importance of open communication with responsible adults. The
11 State Board of Education shall make these resource materials
12 available on its Internet website.
13 (Source: P.A. 95-509, eff. 8-28-07; 95-869, eff. 1-1-09;
14 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)
 
15     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
16 2010.".