A JOINT RESOLUTION to AUTHORIZE THE LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMISSION TO STUDY THE issue of limiting the accessibility by minors of pornographic web sites and shielding them from materials that are harmful to minors, including the feasibility of establishing a .xxx internet domain.
Whereas, a recent study requested by Congress and conducted by The National Academies acknowledged that protecting children from Internet pornography is a special challenge because while the Internet offers enormous educational and social benefits to children, it also raises concerns regarding the exposure of children to inappropriate sexually explicit materials; and
Whereas, The National Academies report further states that "in traditional areas such as books, films, and standard retail outlets, society has limited the access of children to certain kinds of sexually explicit material without restricting the constitutional rights of adults. The Internet poses a more serious problem because of difficulty in distinguishing between adults and children in an online environment"; and 
Whereas, the report stresses that children can sometimes see, and even sometimes seek out, images that may not be appropriate for them. In comparison to other media, the Internet has features that make responsible supervision over the children who use it more difficult; and 
Whereas, the General Assembly recognizes that this is a complex issue with no single solution. The General Assembly further recognizes that there is a need to develop a workable public policy that helps protect children from materials on the World Wide Web that are harmful to them, but within parameters that continue to afford Internet access to adults without unlawful restrictions; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
SECTION 1.  The Legislative Research Commission may study the issue of limiting the accessibility by minors of pornographic web sites and shielding them from materials that are harmful to minors. In its study the Legislative Research Commission may consider the following:
(1)	The feasibility of establishing an .XXX domain exclusively for the posting and dissemination of pornographic materials.
(2)	The various technology protection measures and information management schemes that are available in the current computer market.
(3)	The success and failure of current laws with regard to the protection of minors from harmful materials, the difficulties in enforcing those laws, and any revisions needed to those laws or additional resources needed to make those laws and their enforcement more effective.
(4)	The development of incentives for Internet service and content providers to behave in a more responsible manner, such as taking greater care to differentiate between adults and minors before granting access to sexually explicit content.
(5)	The development of public policies that would encourage self‑regulatory efforts by businesses.
(6)	The possibility of creating economic incentives and disincentives to encourage responsible business behavior.
(7)	The development of educational strategies and tools that can be used to teach and enable young people to develop responsible decision‑making skills and to use the Internet appropriately.
(8)	Which issues and remedies that are identified are more appropriately addressed at the State level and which ones are more appropriately addressed at the federal level.
(9)	Any other legislative, funding, or public policy issues relevant to protecting minors from harmful materials and still providing access to the many positive entertaining and educational opportunities that are available through Internet access.
SECTION 2.  The Legislative Research Commission shall make a final report to the 2003 General Assembly upon its convening. The reports may include proposed legislation to carry out the recommendations of the study.
SECTION 3.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.