Bill > SB351

Introduced Session

AN ACT To amend Titles 20 and 39 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education and minors, respectively, so as to provide for social media platform access by minors; to provide for social media policies in public schools; to include promotion of safe and appropriate use of technology and responsible digital citizenship in the state's comprehensive character education program; to require the Department of Education to develop and periodically update model programs for educating students regarding online safety; to require local boards of education and governing bodies of charter schools to annually submit acceptable-use policies and technology protection measures for review by the State Board of Education; to provide for compliance standards and specifications for technology protection measures to be used in public schools; to provide for inclusion of parental measures and controls in such technology protection measures; to provide for the identification and prioritization of providers of technology protection measures which meet or exceed such standards and specifications; to provide for the Department of Education to provide guidance and develop training programs to assist public schools; to provide for the withholding of state funds allotted for public schools that have not provided for adequate technology protection measures; to prohibit certain waivers; to provide for required and optional instruction regarding social media for such programs; to require public school local governing bodies to adopt, implement, and enforce social media policies; to authorize the Department of Education to consult with and assist local governing bodies in the development and implementation of such policies; to require local governing bodies to submit such policies to the Department of Education for review; to authorize the State Board of Education to withhold state funds from local governing bodies for failure to comply with certain social media policy requirements; to provide for appeals; to provide for venue; to revise provisions relating to the prohibition of bullying and cyberbullying in public schools; to require social media platforms to verify the age of account holders and to refuse account services to minors without parental consent; to require social medial platforms to provide certain information to parents upon request; to provide for enforcement authority of the Attorney General; to prohibit certain waivers; to create a civil remedy for damages against commercial entities that distribute material harmful to minors without performing age verification methods; to provide for reasonable age verification process requirements for commercial entities; to provide for standards for liability; to provide for exceptions; to provide that age verification information shall not be retained by commercial entities; to provide for the Attorney General's imposition of fines; to provide for definitions; to provide for an effective date; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jason Anavitarte (R)*,  Lee Anderson (R)*,  Matt Brass (R)*,  Clint Dixon (R)*,  Frank Ginn (R)*,  Steve Gooch (R)*,  John Kennedy (R)*,  Randy Robertson (R)*,  Shawn Still (R)*,  Scott Hilton (R), 

Act 463 (on 04/23/2024)

Official Document