Title: An act relating to internet safety.

Brief Description: Promoting internet safety.

Sponsors: Senators McAuliffe, Weinstein, Berkey, Shin, Kohl-Welles, Franklin, Schmidt, Thibaudeau, Eide, Kline, Keiser, Regala, Jacobsen and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education: 2/18/05, 2/21/05 [DP].

Passed Senate: 3/11/05, 49-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING, K-12 & HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Pridemore, Vice Chair; Weinstein, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Berkey, Delvin, Eide, Kohl-Welles, Pflug, Rasmussen, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Shin.

Staff: Ingrid Mungia (786-7423)

Background: According to an Internet Safety study completed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), in 2001 24 million children used the internet on a weekly basis. Currently, there are approximately 45 million children between the ages of ten and seventeen using the internet on a weekly basis. Many children use the internet with no adult supervision.

Summary of Bill: Summary of Bill: The Safety Center Advisory Committee must develop and distribute a pamphlet to promote internet safety for children in grades seven though twelve. The Superintendent of Public Instruction must post the pamphlet on its website. The pamphlet must also be distributed in school and other areas accessible to youth throughout the state.

Appropriation: $40,000.00

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For: We want to educate children and their parents about internet safety. The internet is an everyday tool for students and there needs to be another tool to inform them on how to stay safe and who to contact when something happens. The pamphlet should also be for elementary school students. Things are rapidly expanding and the pamphlet allows us to reach students beyond school for a little bit of money and a great deal of protection. The pamphlet will help both students and parents.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator McCauliffe, prime sponsor; Rainer Houser, AWSP; Mary Kinfield, PTA; Barbara Mertens, WASA.