[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4982 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4982
To improve public awareness in the United States regarding safe use of
the Internet through the establishment of an Office of Internet Safety
and Public Awareness within the Federal Trade Commission.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 16, 2006
Ms. Bean introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve public awareness in the United States regarding safe use of
the Internet through the establishment of an Office of Internet Safety
and Public Awareness within the Federal Trade Commission.
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 2006''
or the ``SAFER NET Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.
The Federal Trade Commission shall establish an Office of Internet
Safety and Public Awareness, which shall have responsibility for
programs and activities relating to increasing public awareness and
providing education regarding Internet safety.
SEC. 3. DIRECTOR.
The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed by
the Commission.
SEC. 4. 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. 5. DUTIES.
(a) Activities.--The Commission, acting through the Office, shall
carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and
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) evaluating Internet safety efforts and activities
provided at various levels of government and by other entities;
(2) improving efficiency of Internet safety efforts and
activities, by eliminating redundancy of efforts at various
levels of government and other entities, identifying,
promoting, and expanding effective such efforts and activities
and coordinating among such efforts and activities;
(3) identifying, promoting, and encouraging best practices
for Internet safety;
(4) establishing and carrying out a national outreach and
education campaign regarding Internet safety utilizing various
media and Internet-based resources;
(5) serving as the primary contact in the Federal
Government, and as a national clearinghouse, for information
and public awareness efforts regarding Internet safety;
(6) facilitating access to, and the exchange of,
information regarding Internet safety to promote up-to-date
knowledge regarding current issues;
(7) providing expert advice and consultation to the
Commission regarding Internet safety issues; and
(8) providing assistance, including technical assistance
and financial assistance under subsection (c), to States, units
of local government, schools, police departments, non-profit
organizations, and such other entities as the Office considers
appropriate to promote Internet safety education and public
awareness.
(b) Grants and Contracts.--
(1) Authority.--In carrying out subsection (b), the
Commission, acting through the Office, may make grants, to the
extent amounts are provided in advance in appropriation Acts
for such grants, to, and enter into cooperative agreements,
contracts, and interagency agreements with States, units of
local government, schools, police departments, non-profit
organizations, and such other public and private agencies,
entities, and organizations as the Office considers
appropriate.
(2) Evaluation.--The Commission, acting through the Office,
shall provide for evaluations of projects and activities
carried out with financial assistance provided under paragraph
(1) and for the dissemination of information developed as a
result of such projects.
SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORTS.
The Commission, acting through the Office, shall submit a report
not later than March 31 of each year that--
(1) describes the activities of the Office during the
preceding calendar year;
(2) contains any evaluations performed pursuant to
subsection (c)(2) for any projects and activities carried out
during the preceding calendar with assistance under subsection
(c)(1);
(3) describes and analyzes the current state, as of the
preparation of such report, of Internet safety, existing and
emerging threats to Internet safety, and costs to the economy
of the United States resulting from preventing, responding to,
eliminating, and otherwise dealing with threats to Internet
safety.
SEC. 7. 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.
(3) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of
Internet Safety and Public Awareness of the Federal Trade
Commission, established by section 2.
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