Protect Students From Harmful Material

The bill requires an entity that provides electronically accessible educational materials to a public school or school district to equip the materials with computer software or a filter service that prohibits access to material that is harmful to children or obscene. A parent or legal guardian may bring a civil action against an entity that provides electronically accessible educational materials and that violates this requirement if the parent's child viewed material that is harmful to a child or obscene through the material provided by the entity. The parent or legal guardian is entitled to injunctive relief, the greater of a fine in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 for each violation or actual damages incurred as a result of each violation, exemplary damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. It is an affirmative defense if the entity equips the materials with computer software or a filter service that prohibits access to material that is harmful to children or obscene.

The bill requires each school district or public school to ensure that any database provided by an entity accessible to students is equipped with computer software or a filter service that prohibits access to material that is harmful to children or obscene by that entity, and each computer or other electronic device that a student may have access to is equipped with computer software or a filter service that prohibits access to material that is harmful to children or obscene.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)