S‑0643.2   _____________________________________________

SENATE BILL 5233

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Swecker, Rasmussen, Zarelli, Hargrove, Stevens, Honeyford, Kastama, Oke, Finkbeiner and West

Read first time 01/16/2001.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

_1      AN ACT Relating to internet safety for libraries; adding a new

_2  section to chapter 27.12 RCW; and creating a new section.

_3  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

_4      NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the protection

_5  of children and the prevention of sexual exploitation constitutes

_6  an important state objective.  It is the intent of the legislature

_7  that libraries prevent the sexual exploitation of any person and

_8  protect children from on-line material that is patently offensive

_9  with respect to what is suitable for minors and pornographic.

10      NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 27.12

11  RCW to read as follows:

12      (1) Libraries organized under this chapter must:

13      (a) Have in place a policy of internet safety that includes the

14  operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any

15  of its publicly available computers with internet access that

16  protects against access through such computers to visual

17  depictions that are (i) obscene under chapter 9.68 RCW; or (ii)

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_1  sexual exploitation of children under chapter 9.68A RCW; and

_2      (b) Enforce the operation of the technology protection measure

_3  during any use of the computers.

_4      (2) As used in this section:

_5      (a) "Technology protection measure" means a specific software

_6  or service, that is installed and operated to eliminate or reduce

_7  the ability of the computer to access internet sites displaying

_8  pornographic pictures or any other obscene material as defined by

_9  law.

10      (b) "Policy of internet safety" means a condition of use policy

11  or an acceptable use policy that includes restrictions on images

12  accessed via the internet that are obscene, child pornography, or

13  harmful to minors.

14      (3) An administrator, supervisor, or person authorized by the

15  library may disable the technology protection measure concerned to

16  enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes.

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