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Inouye and Stevens Introduce Bill to Promote Internet Safety, Protect Children from Online Predators
Measure Aides Parents in Shielding Kids from Adult Content, Strengthens Child Pornography Laws |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) joined Committee Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) late last night to introduce a bill to promote Internet Safety and to protect children from cybercrimes, including crimes committed by online predators. The Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, S. 1965, also enhances efforts to identify and eliminate child pornography, and helps parents prevent the exposure of inappropriate material to their children. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas).
“The Internet is a powerful medium. But that power must not be used to prey on our nation’s children,” said Senator Inouye. “This bill takes important steps to promote online safety and aid parents in their efforts to protect their children from harm on the Internet. It educates parents and children on safe Internet use, strengthens laws to identify and prosecute crimes involving child pornography, and supports industry efforts to create better parental control technologies to block and filter inappropriate content. Combined, these efforts will help reduce the risk of children becoming victims to online crime.”
Specifically, the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act would:
- Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide public awareness campaign regarding strategies to promote safe use of the Internet by children and to serve as a clearinghouse for information about Internet safety that can be accessed by state and local governments, schools, and other appropriate entities. The bill would authorize $5 million in 2008 and 2009 for such purposes and would require the FTC to submit an annual report to Congress regarding its activities to promote Internet safety.
- Direct the Department of Commerce to establish an Online Safety and Technology Working Group that would bring together representatives from industry, public interest groups, and other appropriate groups and federal agencies to: (1) review and evaluate industry efforts to promote parental control technologies including blocking and filtering technologies and age-appropriate labeling; (2) report evidence of apparent child pornography as required under 42 U.S.C. 13032; (3) detail industry practices with respect to the retention of data that may be used to identify and prosecute crimes against children; and (4) support the development of new technologies that will aid parents in shielding their children from inappropriate material. The Working Group would report its findings and recommendations associated with its work within 1 year.
- Amend existing E-rate requirements to ensure that schools, as part of their Internet safety policy, educate minors about appropriate online behavior, including education about “cyberbullying” and appropriate interactions on social networking websites and in chat rooms.
- Strengthen child pornography enforcement by: (1) tripling existing fines against providers of electronic communications services or remote computing services that fail to report evidence of child pornography under 42 U.S.C. 13023; (2) enhancing the ability of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to share relevant information with international law enforcement officials; (3) specifying the content required in reports to NCMEC; and (4) allowing NCMEC to share images and technical information used to assist providers of electronic communications services or remote computing services in identifying and eliminating images of child pornography.
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| 18th - |
Senator Hutchison Calls for Improved Bus Safety Standards
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today called for improved safety of over-the-road buses and enhanced National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations governing bus safety during a Senate Surface Transportation Subco...
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| 18th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for DTV Transition Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces the witnesses for the Full Committee hearing on Oversight of the DTV Transition: Countdown to February 2009, scheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at 2:30 p.m. The full witness list is below.
With February 17, 2009 less than five months away, the Committee will assess the Federal Communication...
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| 18th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for U.S.-Korea Automobile Trade Imbalance Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces the witnesses for the upcoming Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee hearing on The Imbalance in U.S.-Korea Automobile Trade, scheduled for September 24, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. A full witness list is below.
The hearing will examine the reasons for the imbalance in U.S.-Korea bilateral ...
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| 17th - |
Commerce Committee to Examine Consumer Privacy Issues Related to Broadband Service Providers
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a Full Committee hearing on Broadband Providers and Consumer Privacy, scheduled for Thursday, September 25, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
The Committee will examine broadband provider practices with respect to consumer privacy.
Broadband Providers and Consumer PrivacyFull CommitteeDate: Thursday, Septemb...
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| 16th - |
Senator Hutchison Commends Dept. of Commerce for Helping Nursing Homes with DTV Converter Box Program
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) today commended the U.S. Department of Commerce and Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez for allowing residents with post office boxes and those living in nursing homes to participate in the digital television (DTV) converter box coupon program. Previously, only residents with physical addresses could participate. This meant that those who ...
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| 16th - |
Inouye Calls for Immediate Passage of S.1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) delivered the following statement at today’s hearing on why broadband matters.
“In our hearing today we explore why broadband matters. Broadband matters because broadband communications have become the great economic engine of our time. Broadband deployment drives opportunities for business, education, ...
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| 16th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Bus Safety Hearing
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| 12th - |
Commerce Committee to Hear Testimony from Corporation for Public Broadcasting Nominees
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| 12th - |
Commerce Committee to Review Progress of DTV Transition with FCC, NTIA
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| 12th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Hearing on Consumer Benefits of Broadband
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| 11th - |
Commerce Committee Releases MARAD Bill Financial Disclosure Certification
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today filed its report on S. 2997, the Maritime Administration Act for Fiscal Year 2009. In accordance with Senate Rule XLIV, the Committee provides the attached financial disclosure certification.
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| 11th - |
Commerce Committee Cancels Hearing to Examine Marine Protected Areas
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| 10th - |
Senator Hutchison Cosponsors Calling Card Legislation to Help Consumers
- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today signed on as a cosponsor to legislation that would assist consumers with pre-paid calling cards and ensure that fees and terms are easier to understand. The bill, S. 2998, would require pre-paid calling card providers and distributors to disclose the numbe...
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| 9th - |
Commerce Committee to Hold Hearing on Consumer Benefits of Broadband
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| 8th - |
Commerce Committee to Examine Marine Protected Areas
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| 8th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Prepaid Calling Card Hearing
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