House
File
2546
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2546
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HF
2114)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
minors
using
the
internet,
including
1
social
media
and
internet
safety
instruction
and
education
2
requirements
in
public
schools
and
liability
for
publication
3
of
obscene
material
available
to
minors
on
the
internet.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
TLSB
5441HV
(3)
90
cm/jh
H.F.
2546
DIVISION
I
1
SOCIAL
MEDIA
AND
INTERNET
SAFETY
EDUCATION
2
Section
1.
Section
256.11,
Code
2024,
is
amended
by
adding
3
the
following
new
subsection:
4
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
5B.
a.
For
purpose
of
this
subsection,
5
“social
media”
means
a
form
of
interactive
electronic
6
communication
through
an
internet
website
or
application
by
7
which
a
user
creates
a
service-specific
identifying
user
8
profile
to
connect
with
other
users
of
the
internet
website
9
or
application
for
the
purpose
of
communicating
and
sharing
10
information,
ideas,
news,
stories,
opinions,
images,
videos,
11
and
other
content.
12
b.
(1)
The
department
shall
prepare
and
offer
a
curriculum,
13
including
instructional
materials,
for
the
instruction
14
of
social
media
safety
for
students
in
grades
six
through
15
twelve.
Such
instructional
materials
must
be
published
on
the
16
department’s
and
each
school
district’s
internet
sites.
Each
17
school
district
must
notify
parents
or
guardians
that
such
18
instructional
materials
are
available
on
the
department’s
and
19
each
school
district’s
internet
sites.
20
(2)
The
department
shall
periodically
update
the
21
department’s
curriculum
to
reflect
changes
in
social
media
use,
22
emergent
technologies,
and
new
threats
to
students
using
social
23
media
platforms.
24
c.
(1)
The
social
media
instruction
must
include
but
need
25
not
be
limited
to
all
of
the
following:
26
(a)
Time
management
and
healthy
behaviors
on
social
media.
27
(b)
The
negative
effects
of
social
media
on
mental
health,
28
including
addiction.
29
(c)
The
distribution
of
information
on
social
media.
30
(d)
How
social
media
manipulates
behavior.
31
(e)
The
permanency
of
sharing
materials
online.
32
(f)
How
to
maintain
personal
security
and
identify
33
cyberbullying,
predatory
behavior,
and
human
trafficking
on
the
34
internet.
35
-1-
LSB
5441HV
(3)
90
cm/jh
1/
5
H.F.
2546
(g)
How
to
report
suspicious
behavior
encountered
on
the
1
internet
to
appropriate
authorities.
2
(2)
The
social
media
safety
instruction
must
include
3
how
to
safely
use
social
media,
including
but
not
limited
4
to
maintaining
personal
security,
preventing
oversharing
of
5
personal
information,
identifying
predatory
behavior,
and
6
reporting
suspicious
behavior.
7
(3)
The
social
media
safety
instruction
may
include
the
8
benefits
of
social
media
use.
Such
instruction
may
only
9
include
career
and
resume
building
for
future
academic
or
10
employment
opportunities,
sharing
information
with
familiar
11
family
and
friends,
and
safely
connecting
with
other
users
with
12
like
interests.
13
(4)
Parents
or
guardians
of
a
child
shall
be
given
the
14
ability
to
opt
the
child
out
of
such
instruction.
15
d.
(1)
The
department
and
school
districts
shall
prohibit
16
student
access
to
social
media
platforms
through
the
use
17
of
internet
access
provided
by
the
school
district,
except
18
when
expressly
directed
by
a
teacher
solely
for
educational
19
purposes.
20
(2)
The
department
and
school
districts
shall
provide
and
21
adopt
an
internet
safety
policy
for
student
access
to
the
22
internet
provided
by
the
school
district
which
does
all
of
the
23
following:
24
(a)
Limits
access
by
students
to
only
age-appropriate
25
subject
matter
and
materials
on
the
internet.
26
(b)
Protects
the
safety
and
security
of
students
when
27
using
electronic
mail,
chat
rooms,
and
other
forms
of
direct
28
electronic
communications.
29
(c)
Prohibits
access
by
students
to
data
or
information,
30
including
hacking,
and
other
unlawful
online
activities
by
31
students.
32
(d)
Prevents
access
to
internet
sites,
web
applications,
or
33
software
that
does
not
protect
against
the
disclosure,
use,
or
34
dissemination
of
students’
personal
information.
35
-2-
LSB
5441HV
(3)
90
cm/jh
2/
5
H.F.
2546
e.
The
state
board
shall
adopt
rules
to
administer
this
1
subsection.
2
f.
This
subsection
shall
not
apply
to
nonpublic
schools.
3
DIVISION
II
4
DISTRIBUTION
OF
OBSCENE
MATERIAL
TO
MINORS
ON
THE
INTERNET
5
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
554H.1
Publication
and
distribution
of
6
obscene
material
to
minors
on
the
internet.
7
1.
For
purposes
of
this
chapter:
8
a.
“Interactive
computer
service”
means
the
same
as
that
9
term
is
defined
in
47
U.S.C.
§230.
10
b.
“Obscene
material”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
11
728.1,
subsection
5.
12
2.
Any
commercial
entity
that
knowingly
or
intentionally
13
publishes
or
distributes
obscene
material
to
minors
on
the
14
internet
from
a
website
that
contains
a
substantial
portion
of
15
such
material
shall
verify
that
any
person
attempting
to
access
16
obscene
material
is
not
a
minor
through
the
use
of
any
of
the
17
following:
18
a.
A
commercially
available
database
that
is
regularly
used
19
by
businesses
or
governmental
entities
for
the
purpose
of
age
20
and
identity
verification.
21
b.
Another
commercially
reasonable
method
of
age
and
22
identity
verification.
23
3.
Any
commercial
entity
that
violates
the
provisions
of
24
this
section
shall
be
subject
to
civil
liability
for
damages
25
resulting
from
a
minor’s
access
to
obscene
material
and
26
reasonable
attorney
fees
and
costs.
27
4.
This
section
shall
not
be
construed
to
impose
civil
28
liability
on
a
provider
or
user
of
an
interactive
computer
29
service
on
the
internet.
30
EXPLANATION
31
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
32
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
33
This
bill
relates
to
minors
using
the
internet,
including
34
social
media
and
internet
safety
instruction
and
education
35
-3-
LSB
5441HV
(3)
90
cm/jh
3/
5
H.F.
2546
requirements
in
public
schools
and
liability
for
publication
of
1
obscene
material
available
to
minors
on
the
internet.
2
DIVISION
I
——
SOCIAL
MEDIA
AND
INTERNET
SAFETY
EDUCATION.
3
This
division
of
the
bill
requires
the
department
of
education
4
to
create
and
offer
a
curriculum
for
instruction
on
social
5
media
safety
for
student
in
grades
6
through
12.
The
6
curriculum
must
include
but
is
not
limited
to:
(1)
time
7
management
and
healthy
behaviors
on
social
media,
(2)
education
8
on
the
negative
effects
on
mental
health
social
media
can
9
produce,
(3)
the
distribution
of
information
on
social
media,
10
(4)
how
social
media
manipulates
behavior,
(5)
the
permanency
11
of
sharing
materials
online,
(6)
how
to
maintain
personal
12
security
and
identify
cyberbullying,
predatory
behavior,
and
13
human
trafficking,
and
(7)
how
to
report
suspicious
behavior.
14
The
curriculum
may
also
include
the
benefits
of
social
media
15
use.
Parents
or
guardians
are
allowed
to
opt
a
child
out
of
16
such
curriculum.
17
The
bill
provides
that
the
department
and
school
districts
18
shall
prohibit
student
access
to
social
media
platforms
through
19
the
use
of
internet
access
supplied
by
the
school
district,
20
except
for
educational
purposes.
21
The
bill
requires
the
department
and
school
district
to
22
adopt
an
internet
safety
policy
that
does
all
of
the
following:
23
(1)
limits
access
by
students
to
only
age-appropriate
24
materials,
(2)
protects
the
safety
and
security
of
students
25
when
using
forms
of
direct
electronic
communication,
(3)
26
prohibits
access
by
students
to
data
or
information,
and
27
(4)
prevents
access
to
internet
sites,
web
applications,
or
28
software
that
does
not
protected
against
disclosure,
use,
or
29
dissemination
of
students’
personal
information.
30
The
division
of
the
bill
does
not
apply
to
nonpublic
schools.
31
DIVISION
II
——
DISTRIBUTION
OF
OBSCENE
MATERIAL
TO
32
MINORS.
This
division
of
the
bill
creates
civil
liability
for
33
commercial
entities
who
publish
or
distribute
material
harmful
34
to
minors
on
the
internet.
The
bill
provides
any
commercial
35
-4-
LSB
5441HV
(3)
90
cm/jh
4/
5
H.F.
2546
entity
that
knowingly
or
intentionally
publishes
or
distributes
1
obscene
material
to
minors
on
the
internet
from
a
website
2
that
contains
a
substantial
portion
of
such
material
shall
be
3
held
civilly
liable
if
the
entity
fails
to
perform
reasonable
4
age
verification
methods
to
verify
the
age
of
individuals
5
attempting
to
access
the
material.
Any
commercial
entity
that
6
is
found
in
violation
shall
be
civilly
liable
to
an
individual
7
for
damages
resulting
from
a
minor’s
accessing
the
material,
8
including
court
costs
and
reasonable
attorney
fees
as
ordered
9
by
the
court.
The
bill
does
not
impose
civil
liability
on
10
a
provider
or
user
of
an
interactive
computer
service
on
the
11
internet.
12
-5-
LSB
5441HV
(3)
90
cm/jh
5/
5