WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Senate yesterday approved S. 1965, “Protecting Children in the 21^st Century Act,” sponsored by Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and 19 other cosponsors.  The bill would bring parents, industry, and educators together to address comprehensive online protections for children.

“Keeping children safe on the Internet must be a multi-layered approach, both on and offline,” said Senator Stevens.  “Parents play a vital role in supervising their children’s use of the Internet, but this bill will help keep America’s children safe and allow them to learn and grow in an ever changing online world.”   

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, one in seven children online (10 to 17-years-old) have received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet.

S. 1965, “Protecting Children in the 21^st Century Act” includes the following provisions:

• requires schools receiving E-Rate funds to offer education regarding online behavior, including social networking, chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response;
  
• creates an interagency working group to identify and encourage technologies and initiatives to help parents protect their children from unwanted content; and
  
• requires a national public awareness campaign to be conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

“The Internet is a valuable resource for children and this measure improves safety and addresses parental control without infringing on the First Amendment,” Senator Stevens said.

The Senate also approved a resolution sponsored by Vice Chairman Stevens and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to declare June 2008 as “National Internet Safety Month.” The resolution, which passed the Senate last night by unanimous consent, calls on Internet safety organizations, law enforcement officials, educators, community leaders and parents to increase Internet education and safety efforts. The measure notes that more than 35 million children in kindergarten through grade 12 have Internet access, and 80 percent of those children are online for at least one hour per week.

# # #