BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 136
By: Nelson et al.
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, schools do not have a cohesive approach to educate students about the dangers of certain websites. While several resources and programs already exist on Internet safety, many schools and school districts have not yet examined all of the available information and developed a program from that information to deliver to students about online safety.
S.B. 136 requires the Texas School Safety Center to develop a program that all Texas school districts can use on a permissive basis to inform students and their parents about online safety.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to any state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter G, Chapter 37, Education Code, by adding Section 37.217, as follows:
Sec. 37.217. COMMUNITY EDUCATION RELATING TO INTERNET SAFETY. (a) Requires the Texas School Safety Center (center), in cooperation with the attorney general, to develop a program that provides instruction concerning Internet safety, including instruction relating to the potential dangers of disclosing personal information online, how to report an inappropriate online solicitation, and certain actions to take in relation to online bullying or threats occurring over the Internet.
(b) Requires the center to solicit input from interested stakeholders and to draw from existing resources and programs, to the extent practicable, in developing the program.
(c) Requires the center to make the program available to public schools.
SECTION 2. Requires the center to develop the program as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.