Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act

Bill: 110-s-1965
Sponsor: Sen. Stevens, Ted [R-AK]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Child pornography
Child safety
Commerce
Computer crimes
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Federal advisory bodies
Fines (Penalties)
Forfeiture
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Informers
Internet
Law
Science, Technology, Communications
Technological innovations
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education to promote the safe use of the Internet by children.

Directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an Online Safety and Technology working group consisting of members of the business community, public interest groups, and other appropriate groups and federal agencies to review and evaluate industry efforts to promote online safety for children. 

Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) require schools to educate minors about appropriate use of the Internet; and (2) impose a forfeiture penalty on carriers who violate requirements to report online child pornography.

Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to increase fines on providers of electronic communication or remote computing services who fail to report violations of child pornography laws.

Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to: (1) require reporting of online child pornography to foreign law enforcement agencies (in addition to federal and state agencies); and (2) authorize the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to provide information or images relating to child pornography to providers of electronic communication or remote computing services to stop the further transmission of such pornography and develop anti-child pornography technologies and related industry best practices. 

action_date: 2007-12-12
text: 
Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
 - Title I: Promoting a Safe Internet for Children 
- (Sec. 101) Declares that the issue of Internet safety includes issues regarding the use of the Internet in a manner that promotes safe online activity for children, protects children from cybercrimes, including crimes by online predators, and helps parents shield their children from material that is inappropriate for minors. 

(Sec. 102) Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education on strategies to promote the safe use of the Internet by children. 

(Sec. 103) Requires the FTC to submit annual reports (by March 31) to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the activities of its public awareness campaign. Authorizes appropriations for campaign.

(Sec. 105) Directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an Online Safety and Technology working group to review and evaluate: (1) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety for children; (2) the recordkeeping practices of electronic communications and remote computing service providers in connection with crimes against children; and (3) the development of technologies to help parents protect their children from inappropriate material on the Internet. 

Requires the working group to report to the Assistant Secretary and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on its findings. Renders the Federal Advisory Committee Act inapplicable to the working group. 

(Sec. 106) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require elementary and secondary schools with computer access to the Internet to educate minors about appropriate online behavior, including online interaction with other individuals in social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.

Title II: Enhancing Child Pornography Enforcement
 - (Sec. 201) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to impose a forfeiture penalty on Internet service providers who violate requirements of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to report online child pornography.

(Sec. 202) Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to increase civil fines on providers of electronic communication or remote computing services who knowingly and willfully fail to report child pornography.

Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to: (1) expand the child pornography reporting requirements of electronic communication and remote computing service providers, including requiring reports to foreign law enforcement agencies; and (2) authorize the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to provide to electronic communication or remote computing service providers images of child pornography to assist such providers in stopping the further transmission of pornographic images and to develop anti-child pornography technologies.

action_date: 2008-05-22
text: 
Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
 - Title I: Promoting a Safe Internet for Children 
- (Sec. 101) Declares that the issue of Internet safety includes issues regarding the use of the Internet in a manner that promotes safe online activity for children, protects children from cybercrimes, including crimes by online predators, and helps parents shield their children from material that is inappropriate for minors. 

(Sec. 102) Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education on strategies to promote the safe use of the Internet by children. 

(Sec. 103) Requires the FTC to submit annual reports (by March 31) to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the activities of its public awareness campaign. 

(Sec. 104) Directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an Online Safety and Technology working group to review and evaluate: (1) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety for children; (2) the recordkeeping practices of electronic communications and remote computing service providers in connection with crimes against children; and (3) the development of technologies to help parents protect their children from inappropriate material on the Internet. 

Requires the working group to report to the Assistant Secretary and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on its findings. Renders the Federal Advisory Committee Act inapplicable to the working group. 

(Sec. 105) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require elementary and secondary schools with computer access to the Internet to educate minors about appropriate online behavior, including online interaction with other individuals in social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.

Title II: Enhancing Child Pornography Enforcement
 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to impose a forfeiture penalty on Internet service providers who violate requirements of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to report online child pornography.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2008-06-03
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2008-05-23
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S4839)
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S4839)
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S4837-4839; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S4837-4838)
action_date: 2007-12-12
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 538.
action_date: 2007-12-12
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye with amendments. With written report No. 110-245.
action_date: 2007-12-12
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye with amendments. With written report No. 110-245.
action_date: 2007-09-27
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate