In October 2008, Congress passed a bill that updated the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and mandates that schools will have to teach online safety to students in order to receive E-rate funds. This week the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that provides further details and outlines timeframes for compliance.
In October 2008, Congress passed a bill that updated the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and mandates that schools will have to teach online safety to students in order to receive E-rate funds. This week the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that provides further details and outlines timeframes for compliance.
The FCC is proposing that E-rate recipients that receive Internet access and internal connections should be required to certify on its Form 486, for FY 2010 that it has updated its Internet Safety policy to include plans for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response, as required by the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act. The Form 486 is a form schools and libraries must fill out to notify the SLD they are CIPA compliance, who reviewed their technology plan and to alert the SLD their services have started. The Form 486 must be sent to the SLD 120 days from the start of service or 120 days from when applicants receive their funding commitment decision letter, whichever is later. Assuming that this rule does take affect in FY 2010 and that an applicant receives a FCLD before July 1 and their services start on July 1 the deadline for this new certification would be October 28, 2010.
Reply Comment Date: [45 days after publication in the Federal Register]
Funds For Learning CIPA Compliance Checklist can be viewed here.
