BILL ANALYSIS Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Tom Torlakson, Chairman 88 (Lieu) Hearing Date: 07/09/07 Amended: 07/02/07 Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 9-0 _________________________________________________________________ ____ BILL SUMMARY: AB 88 would require the Department of Education (SDE) to work with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to ensure that the list of resources regarding internet safety from the California Cyber Safety Resource Center (CSRC) addresses various criteria. The bill would also require SDE to make the list available on its own website. _________________________________________________________________ ____ Fiscal Impact (in thousands) Major Provisions 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Fund Internet Safety $100 $100 $100 General _________________________________________________________________ ____ STAFF COMMENTS: Current law, Chapter 313/2006 (AB 307, Chavez) requires SDE, by July 1, 2007, to develop guidelines for information regarding the safe use of the internet that should be included in district education technology plans. The Department for Consumer Affairs has created the Cyber Safety for Children website that will soon include the CSRC, which will, among other things, provide an annotated list of internet safety resources for parents, educators, and law enforcement. This bill would require the SDE to work with the DCA to ensure the following issues are address on the CSRC: Safe and responsible internet communication and navigation. Keeping personal information and pictures private. Recognizing and reporting online sexual predator solicitation. Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited communication. Spy ware countermeasures. Copyrights, plagiarism, and illegal file sharing. SDE would also be required to make the CSRC list available on their website. SDE indicates annual costs of approximately $100,000 for this activity. The costs are largely driven by the need to perform "social content" reviews of the material cited. Further, as the bill does not specify that this is a one-time or periodic activity, the cost of the reviews would be ongoing. Staff recommends amending the bill so that the SDE is only required to review and identify appropriate resources every three years, rather than continuously. Related legislation, SB 1740 (Murray, 2006), which would have required SDE to -1- Page 2 AB 88 (Lieu) develop and maintain internet safety curriculum guidelines, was vetoed by the Governor because the development of the curriculum would have circumvented the authority of the State Board of Education to develop and approve curricula, and also because the Cyber Safety for Children project was underway.