Report Title:

Internet Safety Education; Pilot Program

Description:

Requires the Department of Education to establish an Internet safety education pilot project for students and community members.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2899
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to internet safety.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  (a)  The department of education, in collaboration with the department of the attorney general, shall develop and implement as a three-year pilot project, an Internet safety education program in all public schools and communities on the island of Oahu.

     (b)  For the purposes of the Internet safety education program established under this Act, the department of education shall:

     (1)  Develop a curriculum of customized, age-appropriate presentations for students in kindergarten through high school, to provide students with skills and knowledge in Internet safety, including:

         (A)  Protecting personal information and learning about the dangers of revealing such information on social networking sites;

         (B)  Avoiding strangers on the Internet;

         (C)  Reporting uncomfortable situations to trusted adults;

         (D)  Realizing the dangers of arranging physical meetings with persons first encountered over the Internet;

         (E)  Recognizing common techniques Internet predators use to deceive students; and

         (F)  Avoiding and responding appropriately to Internet harassment or bullying;

     and

     (2)  Develop a community seminar program that supplements the school curriculum developed under paragraph (1) by providing the following skills to parents and other responsible adults:

         (A)  Accessing the Internet registry of sex offenders and offenders against minors maintained by the Hawaii criminal justice data center pursuant to chapter 846E, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

         (B)  Searching and accessing Internet social networking sites;

         (C)  Viewing Internet history logs to determine a child's online activities;

         (D)  Activating filters on web browsers to control the types of web sites that a child accesses via the Internet;

         (E)  Obtaining reliable information on parental-control software for Internet activities; and

         (F)  Any other practical skills deemed appropriate by the department of education.

     SECTION 2.  Following the development of the school curriculum and community seminar program described in section 1(b) of this Act, the department of education shall implement the Internet safety education program for a period of three years.  The department shall submit a report to the legislature, including findings, recommendations, and implementing draft legislation, on the Internet safety education program and the feasibility of operating the program in all public schools statewide, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2013.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to establish and implement the pilot Internet safety education program pursuant to this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

INTRODUCED BY:

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