AB 15

This bill requires public libraries and public schools, including charter schools,

to take steps to prevent pupils and minors from accessing harmful material on

computers. Under the bill, “harmful material” is defined as 1) any picture,

photograph, drawing, sculpture, motion picture film, or similar visual

representation or image of a person or portion of the human body that depicts nudity,

sexually explicit conduct, sadomasochistic abuse, physical torture, or brutality and

that is harmful to children; or 2) any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter

however reproduced or recording that contains matter described in item 1, or explicit

and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexually

explicit conduct, sadomasochistic abuse, physical torture, or brutality and that,

taken as a whole, is harmful to children.

The bill requires any public library that provides a public access computer and

any school board or independent charter school to do at least one of the following with

respect to the public access computer or school computer to which pupils and minors

have access: 1) equip the computer with software that will limit a pupil's or minor's

ability to gain access to harmful material; 2) purchase Internet connectivity from an

Internet service provider that provides filter services to limit access to harmful

material; or 3) develop and implement a policy that establishes measures to keep

pupils and minors from gaining access to harmful material. Under the bill, a public

library or public school may allow a pupil or minor to access harmful material on the

Internet if the parent or guardian of the pupil or minor consents to that access.

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the bill requires each school board and

operator of an independent charter school to adopt a policy that specifies criteria for

determining whether certain material is offensive material, which, under the bill,

means the material is offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with

respect to what is suitable for children. Under the bill, if a public school pupil will

view or otherwise have access to offensive material as part of classroom instruction,

the school must provide the parent or guardian of the pupil with an outline of the

curriculum and a summary of the instructional materials that contain the offensive

material, information regarding how the parent or guardian may inspect the

complete curriculum and instructional materials, and an explanation of the

exemption available to parents and guardians under the bill. The bill requires each

public school to make the complete curriculum and all instructional materials

available for inspection by parents or guardians upon request. Under the bill, no

pupil may be required to take any such instruction if the pupil's parent or guardian

files with the teacher or school principal a written request that the pupil be

exempted. Finally, the bill provides that no public school or public school employee

may show or provide to any pupil offensive material for which the school did not

follow the requirements under the bill regarding parental notice and opportunity to

exempt pupil participation.