SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2327        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 55

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Barry R. Finegold

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to cyber crime prevention in schools.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2327        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 55

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act relative to cyber crime prevention in schools.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The Secretary of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish a school district cyber crime prevention program to provide school districts with information on strategies, best practices and programs offering training and assistance in the prevention of cyber crimes in school districts.

SECTION 2. The school district cyber crime prevention services program, directly and in conjunction with other departments and agencies of the state, federal agencies or local governments, shall provide school districts with access to the following services: (a) information on strategies, best practices and programs offering training and assistance in the prevention of cyber crimes in school districts or otherwise affecting school districts, including, but not limited to: hacking, phishing and the use of viruses, malware and Denial of Service attacks; (b) information on eligibility and applications for financial assistance for school district cyber crime prevention services; (c) information on eligibility and applications for other programs of financial assistance for school district cyber crime prevention that may from time to time be available from the state, federal agencies or local governments; (d) information on protecting the assets of school districts from cyber crime, including risk reduction strategies and insurance availability; and (e) information on responses to cyber crime, including reporting of cyber crimes, submitting insurance claims and cyber crime victim assistance programs.

SECTION 3. The school district cyber crime prevention services program shall, with the assistance of other appropriate state agencies, identify issues relating to cyber crime affecting school districts and assist DESE in making recommendations for legislative, regulatory and programmatic actions to address such issues.