Bill > HB1886

This bill mandates that each Local Education Agency (LEA), which refers to public school districts, and public charter schools must adopt and regularly review an internet acceptable use policy that includes specific internet safety protocols for students, guidelines for communicating with parents about online safety, rules to protect students using school-provided internet for direct electronic communication, and safeguards against the disclosure of student personal information online. The policy must also limit internet access to websites deemed acceptable by the school, prohibiting content that is harmful to minors, pornographic, obscene, excessively violent or frightening without educational value, or promotes self-harm. While schools can create email addresses for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade solely for identification in security or grading software, these young students will not be allowed to send or receive emails. Furthermore, providers of digital resources for K-12 schools must ensure their materials do not violate laws against harmful content, block access to inappropriate material, and have a process for schools to request removal of age-inappropriate content within one business day. Schools contracting for these digital resources must also establish a complaint process for alleged violations. Finally, LEAs and public charter schools are required to conduct an annual audit of their compliance with their internet acceptable use policies, with the results published online, and must notify parents immediately if a student under 18 violates the policy.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1886&ga=114