Competing Filtering Measures
Attached to Senate Bill
The U.S. Senate passed two competing proposals designed to prevent children from accessing obscene material online in schools and libraries, leaving it to a conference committee to work out the differences.
Both measures were attached to the Labor–Health and Human Services–Education appropriations bill. The more stringent one, introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and approved by a 95–3 vote, would require schools and libraries receiving e-rate subsidies to use Internet filters. The second amendment, introduced by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and which passed 75–24, would give schools and libraries the option of either installing the filters or implementing an Internet-use policy.
The two measures have already been introduced in the Senate, McCain’s in January 1999 as the Child Internet Protection Act (S. 97) and Santorum’s last summer as the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act (S. 1545).
The appropriations bill passed by the House also contains a filtering mandate. The differences between the two bills will have to be addressed when the two bodies confer, which should take place in mid-July.
Posted July 3, 2000.
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