Outline of the state of Pennsylvania
State
Pennsylvania
Required

Category
Acceptable Internet Use Policies

Category
Acceptable Internet Use Policies

State law requires districts to adopt Internet use policies or to provide instruction on safe Internet use.

Pennsylvania Unconsolidated Statutes 1949 Act 24. Section 4604. School entity Internet policies

(a) ACCEPTABLE-USE POLICY.— Within 180 days after the effective date of this act, each school board shall adopt an acceptable-use policy for the Internet. At a minimum, the policy shall contain provisions which are reasonably designed to: (1) Prevent students and employees of the school entity from using any computer equipment and communications services owned or leased by the school entity for sending, receiving, viewing or downloading visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors. (2) Establish appropriate measures to be taken against students and school employees who willfully violate the school entity’s acceptable-use policy. (3) Provide for expedited review and resolution of a claim that the policy is denying a student or school employee access to material that is not within the prohibition of the acceptable-use policy. (b) IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT.— The school board shall take such steps as it deems appropriate to implement and enforce the school entity’s policy, which shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) use of software programs reasonably designed to block access to visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors; or (2) selection of online servers that block access to visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors. (c) COPY OF POLICY FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS.— A school entity shall provide, upon written request of a parent or guardian, a copy of the acceptable-use policy it has adopted under this act.

Policy Type
Statute

Pennsylvania Unconsolidated Statutes 1949 Act 24. Section 4608. Enforcement of acceptable-use policies

(a) REVIEW OF ACCEPTABLE-USE POLICIES.— The secretary shall review each acceptable-use policy filed by a public library and school entity under this act and each revision thereof. If the secretary determines after review that a policy or revision is not designed to achieve the requirements of section 4 or 5, the secretary shall provide written notice to the school entity or public library explaining the nature of such noncompliance and shall afford the school entity or public library a 30-day period for correcting any failure to comply with this act. The secretary may provide a reasonable extension of time for submission of a revised acceptable-use policy on a showing of good cause. (b) REVISION OF POLICIES.— No revision of an acceptable-use policy which has been approved by the secretary under subsection (a) shall be implemented until such revision is approved by the secretary. If the secretary fails to disapprove the revision within 60 days after submission to the secretary, the school entity or public library may proceed with the implementation of the revision of its acceptable-use policy. (c) WITHHOLDING OF FUNDING FROM SCHOOL ENTITIES AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES.— The secretary shall withhold a portion of State funding to a school entity or public library if the school entity or public library: (1) fails to submit an acceptable-use policy within the time prescribed in this act; (2) submits an acceptable-use policy that is not reasonably designed to achieve the requirements of section 4 or 5; or (3) is not enforcing or is substantially disregarding its acceptable-use policy. (d) APPEAL.— If the secretary disapproves an acceptable-use policy or any revision thereof under this section or notifies the school entity or public library that it is subject to the withholding of funding pursuant to subsection (c), the aggrieved school entity or public library may appeal the decision to the Commonwealth Court.

Policy Type
Statute

Pennsylvania Unconsolidated Statutes 2004 Act 197. Section 5. Public library Internet policies.

(a)  Acceptable-use policy.— Within 180 days after the effective date of this act, each school board shall adopt an acceptable-use policy for the Internet. At a minimum, the policy shall contain provisions which are reasonably designed to:

  • (1) Prevent students and employees of the school entity from using any computer equipment and communications services owned or leased by the school entity for sending, receiving, viewing or downloading visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors.
  • (2) Establish appropriate measures to be taken against students and school employees who willfully violate the school entity’s acceptable-use policy.
  • (3) Provide for expedited review and resolution of a claim that the policy is denying a student or school employee access to material that is not within the prohibition of the acceptable-use policy.

(b)  Implementation and enforcement.— The school board shall take such steps as it deems appropriate to implement and enforce the school entity’s policy, which shall include, but need not be limited to:

  • (1) use of software programs reasonably designed to block access to visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors; or
  • (2) selection of online servers that block access to visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors.

(c)  Copy of policy for parents or guardians.— A school entity shall provide, upon written request of a parent or guardian, a copy of the acceptable-use policy it has adopted under this act.

Policy Type
Statute