November 3, 2015, Introduced by Reps. Wittenberg, Zemke, Sarah Roberts, Singh, McCready, McBroom, Plawecki, Liberati, Dianda, Guerra, Durhal, Byrd, Leutheuser, Cochran, Chirkun, Robinson, Darany, Faris, Moss, Smiley, Brunner, Chang, Banks, Hovey-Wright, Love, Pagan, Greimel, Hooker, Sheppard, LaFontaine, Clemente, Chatfield, Aaron Miller, Graves, Santana, Glenn and Kosowski and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1162.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1162. (1) Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the
board of a school district or board of directors of a public school
academy shall ensure that the school curriculum includes an age-
appropriate lesson of instruction on Internet safety to be taught
at least once each school year to pupils in grades 1 to 12. Public
schools are encouraged to include this lesson in the school
curriculum before that school year. The lessons may be incorporated
into the current courses of study regularly taught in the schools,
as determined by the board or board of directors. The legislature
recommends that at least all of the following topics should be
addressed in these lessons at some point during grades 1 to 12, at
age and grade levels considered appropriate by the board or board
of directors:
(a) Safe and responsible use of social networking websites,
chat rooms, electronic mail, bulletin boards, instant messaging,
and other means of communication on the Internet.
(b) Recognizing, avoiding, and reporting online solicitations
by sexual predators.
(c) Risks of transmitting personal information on the
Internet.
(d) Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive
communications received online.
(e) Recognizing and reporting online harassment and
cyberbullying.
(f) Reporting illegal activities and communications on the
Internet.
(g) Copyright laws on written materials, photographs, music,
and video.
(2) Not later than the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year,
the department shall make available model resource materials for
educating pupils regarding child online safety. Model resource
materials may include, but are not limited to, handouts,
worksheets, computer-based slideshow presentations, and video
presentations. The department may take into consideration the
curricula and resource materials on this subject developed in this
state and other states, including the Michigan educational
technology standards (METS), the Michigan model for health, and
components of the Michigan merit curriculum, and developed by the
attorney general and other state attorneys general, as well as any
other curricular and resource materials suggested by education
experts, school psychologists, or technology companies that work on
child online safety issues. These model resource materials may
include, but are not limited to, materials addressing safe online
communications, privacy protection, cyberbullying, viewing
inappropriate material, file sharing, and the importance of open
communication with responsible adults. The department shall make
these model resource materials available on its Internet website.