A bill presented to the Virginia House of Delegates January 15 would require a parent or other responsible adult (including a librarian) to be present if a minor accesses the Web on an unfiltered computer in a public library. Libraries with unfiltered terminals would be required to provide minors with separate computers that are free from "harmful" materials.
The legislation, HB 348, would make it a misdemeanor for users to access an "obscene" site and a felony to access a site depicting child pornography. Librarians would be expected to call the police if either of these violations occur.
Introduced by Robert G. Marshall (R-Manassas), the law would require any public library receiving state funding to "obtain computer hardware and software inhibiting library patron access via library computers to obscene materials and child pornography." HB 348 has been referred to the House Committee for Courts of Justice.
Posted February 2, 1998.