104th CONGRESS
1st Session
 
To require the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on
means of controlling the flow of violent, sexually explicit,
harassing, offensive, or otherwise unwanted material in interactive
telecommunications systems.
 
                 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
              April 7 (legislative day, April 5), 1995
 
Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Kerrey, and Mr. Kohl) introduced the
    following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
    Committee on the Judiciary
 
                               A BILL
 
To require the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on
means of controlling the flow of violent, sexually explicit,
harassing, offensive, or otherwise unwanted material in interactive
telecommunications systems.
 
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
 
SECTION 1. STUDY ON MEANS OF RESTRICTING ACCESS TO UNWANTED 
                  MATERIAL IN INTERACTIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS.
 
  (a) Study and Report: Not later than 150 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall complete a study
and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report
containing--
 
      (1) an evaluation of whether current criminal laws governing
    the distribution of obscenity over computer networks and the
    creation and distribution of child pornography by means of
    computers are fully enforceable in interactive media;
 
      (2) an assessment of the Federal, State, and local law
    enforcement resources that are currently available to enforce
    those laws;
 
      (3) an evaluation of the technical means available to--
 
          (A) enable parents to exercise control over the
        information that their children receive and enable other
        users to exercise control over the commercial and
        noncommercial information that they receive over 
        interactive telecommunications systems so that they may
        avoid violent, sexually explicit, harassing, offensive, or
        otherwise unwanted material; and
 
          (B) promote the free flow of information consistent, with
        Constitutional values, in interactive media; and
 
      (4) recommendations to encourage the development and
    deployment of technical means, including hardware and software,
    to enable parents to exercise control over the information that
    their children receive and enable other users to exercise
    control over the information that they receive over interactive
    telecommunications systems so that they may avoid violent,
    sexually explicit, harassing, offensive, or otherwise unwanted
    material.
 
  (b) Consultation: In conducting the study and preparing the 
report under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall consult 
with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
of the Department of Commerce.