MS HB1341

Schools, charter schools, public libraries, and other public educational institutions may only offer digital or online resources or databases if vendors verify they have safety policies and technology protection measures preventing access to child pornography, obscene materials, sexually oriented materials, and other harmful content.

Vendors must filter or block access to prohibited materials and prohibit sending, receiving, viewing, or downloading of child sexual abuse material, child exploitation materials, and obscene or sexually oriented content.

Schools and libraries must withhold payments to noncompliant vendors and may impose escalating penalties: first violation treated as breach of contract, second violation results in 10% price reduction, third violation results in contract termination and full refund.

Schools and libraries must report vendor noncompliance to the State Auditor within 30 days of discovery, and noncompliant vendors have 30 days to verify compliance after receiving notice.

Effective date is July 1, 2023; bill also brings forward existing Mississippi Code sections relating to obscenity and child sexual exploitation crimes for possible amendments.