| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public library Internet safety |
| 3 | education; amending s. 257.12, F.S.; encouraging all |
| 4 | public libraries to implement an Internet safety education |
| 5 | program for children and adults; providing minimum |
| 6 | requirements for the program; requiring libraries to |
| 7 | annually report to the Division of Library and Information |
| 8 | Services of the Department of State the number of users |
| 9 | who complete the program; requiring that the division |
| 10 | adopt rules to award additional points to grant applicants |
| 11 | implementing such a program; providing an effective date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Subsection (3) is added to section 257.12, |
| 16 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 17 | 257.12 Division of Library and Information Services |
| 18 | authorized to accept and expend federal funds.-- |
| 19 | (3) All public libraries are encouraged to adopt an |
| 20 | Internet safety education program, including the implementation |
| 21 | of a computer-based educational program, that has been endorsed |
| 22 | by a United States government-sanctioned law enforcement agency |
| 23 | or other reputable organization and is designed for children and |
| 24 | adults. The purpose of the Internet safety education program is |
| 25 | to promote the use of prudent online deportment and broaden |
| 26 | awareness of online predators. The program shall be interactive |
| 27 | and age appropriate. Each library shall annually report to the |
| 28 | division the annual number of users who complete the education |
| 29 | program. By April 1, 2009, the division shall adopt rules for |
| 30 | rewarding those libraries in the program grant application |
| 31 | process which have had 1 percent or more of their annual number |
| 32 | of users, based on the total number of registered borrowers from |
| 33 | the preceding year, complete the education program adopted by |
| 34 | the library. Users completing the program as a result of |
| 35 | strategic partnerships or collaboration between the library and |
| 36 | other entities shall be integrated into the library's annual |
| 37 | report. The division shall adopt rules to, beginning with the |
| 38 | grant application cycle for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, allocate |
| 39 | 10 percent of the total points available in the library services |
| 40 | and technology grant application evaluation process to public |
| 41 | libraries that are in compliance with this section. |
| 42 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |