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HR 3461 ERFS

November 14, 2007

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

To establish a public awareness campaign regarding Internet safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Safeguarding America's Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. INTERNET SAFETY.

For purposes of this Act, the issue of Internet safety includes issues regarding use of the Internet in a manner that promotes safe online activity, including safe transactions involved in online commerce, and protects against threats to financial information and privacy, threats from cyber-crime, and threats to juveniles, including cyber-predators and material that is inappropriate for minors.

SEC. 3. PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

The Federal Trade Commission shall carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education regarding Internet safety, for families, businesses, organizations, and other users, that utilizes existing resources and efforts of the Federal Government, State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, private technology and financial companies, Internet service providers, World Wide Web-based resources, and other appropriate entities, that includes--

(1) identifying, promoting, and encouraging best practices for Internet safety;

(2) establishing and carrying out a national outreach and education campaign regarding Internet safety utilizing various media and Internet-based resources;

(3) facilitating access to, and the exchange of, information regarding Internet safety to promote up-to-date knowledge regarding current issues; and

(4) facilitating access to Internet safety education and public awareness efforts the Commission considers appropriate to States, units of local government, schools, police departments, nonprofit organizations, and such other entities.

SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORTS.

The Commission shall submit a report to Congress not later than March 31 of each year that describes the activities carried out under section 3 by the Commission during the preceding calendar year.

SEC. 5. ONLINE SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP.

(a) Establishment- Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information shall establish an Online Safety and Technology working group comprised of representatives of relevant sectors of the business community, public interest groups, and other appropriate groups and Federal agencies to review and evaluate--

(1) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety through educational efforts, parental control technology, blocking and filtering software, age-appropriate labels for content or other technologies or initiatives designed to promote a safe online environment for children;

(2) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety among providers of electronic communications services and remote computing services by reporting apparent child pornography under section 13032 of title 42, United States Code;

(3) the practices of electronic communications service providers and remote computing service providers related to record retention in connection with crimes against children; and

(4) the development of technologies to help parents shield their children from inappropriate material on the Internet.

(b) Report- Not later than 1 year after the working group established under subsection (a) is first convened, it shall submit a report to the Assistant Secretary and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives that--

(1) describes in detail its findings, including any information related to the effectiveness of such strategies and technologies and any information about the prevalence within industry of educational campaigns, parental control technologies, blocking and filtering software, labeling, or other technologies to assist parents; and

(2) includes recommendations as to what types of incentives could be used or developed to increase the effectiveness and implementation of such strategies and technologies.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the Federal Trade Commission.

(2) INTERNET- The term `Internet' means collectively the myriad of computer and telecommunications facilities, including equipment and operating software, which comprise the interconnected world-wide network of networks that employ the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or any predecessor or successor protocols to such protocol, to communicate information of all kinds by wire or radio.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

For carrying out the public awareness campaign under section 3, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Commission $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, which shall remain available until September 30, 2009.

Passed the House of Representatives November 13, 2007.

Attest:

Clerk. LORRAINE C. MILLER,

110th CONGRESSClerk1st SessionH. R. 3461AN ACTTo establish a public awareness campaign regarding Internet safety.