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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05232000 - C91 C.91 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on May 23, 2000 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Gioia, Uilkema, DeSaulnier, Canciamilla and Gerber NOES: None ABSENT: Done ABSTAIN: None SUBJECT: Correspondence C.91 LETTER, dated April 25, 2000, from Congressman George Miller, 1333 Willow Pass Road, Suite 203, Concord, CA 94524,updating the Board regarding his amendment to H.R. 4141 to require schools to obtain parental written consent before students can participate in commercial marketing and research. *****REFERRED TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the above recommendations as noted(*****) are APPROVED. I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED 3 00'e9e) Phil Batchelo, l f theBos of /SLvervisors and Co Administrator By `"` • . ,Deputy c.c.Correspondents (1) County Administrator 4. EbRGG MILLER 1 DISTRICT OFFICES: 13333 WILLOW PASS RFS, 7TH DISTRICT,CALIFORNIA - Swi{TE 203 2205 RAYaURN HOUSE{OFFICE SUL DING CONCORD,CA 94520 WASHINGTON,DC 20515-0507 �y �+©((�' "� �" t (925)602-1890 (202)225-2095 ci onarea of the ndeb tateo DAVID TUCKER www.house.gov/georgemiher DISTRICT DIRECTOR DANIEL WEISS CHIEFOF sTSTAFFuo,pg o ryan} {ibry 3220 6Lur+nE DR. SUITE 281 COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES {�+� rfSt SENIOR DEMOCRAT i �ton9MC 20515-0507 RICRMDNo,CA 94806 i (510)262-6500 COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND'tNE WORKFORCE April 25, 200(!he�yy V1410 GEORGIA ST. AL E O,CA 94590 u MAY 11 2000 (707)645-1888 TTY(202)225-1904 Joe Canciamilla _� _._ __ . .._ .:u.:.._.-�.r ..... Chair 651 Pine Street#106 Martinez California 94553 Dear Joe: I am writing to update you on an important privacy issue affecting students. On April 13,the House Education Committee in Congress passed my amendment to require schools to obtain parental written consent before students can participate in commercial marketing and research. The amendment is not yet law,but it is an important step that has already caused some companies to change their practices. I offered the amendment,which is supported by the National PTA and Consumers Union, in response to a rising number of commercial contracts with public schools that involve divulging personal information about students. It simply makes it clear that if students are going to be asked to divulge personal information to people who plan to profit from it,parents should be involved in that decision, since it affects their children and themselves as well. If parents do not want their children to be objects of market research firms while in school,they should have the right to say"No." This measure gives parents that right. Children directly spend more than$24 billion a year and influence their parents to spend $187 billion each year,making the classroom a new favorite location for market research. There is no question that companies are eager to capture the youth market. Companies have used students to taste breakfast cereals and answer a survey about it, and fill out a personal journal for a cable company, for example. Another company,the ZapMe! Corporation of San Ramon,provides schools with free computers but then monitors students' web browsing habits,breaking the data down by age, sex and ZIP code and with the potential to break it down by individual as well. My amendment was added to a larger education bill, H.R. 4141,making changes to the federal law that assists elementary and secondary schools. I do not support the overall bill in its current form,but I am pleased that my student privacy measure is moving forward and is causing a debate in Congress, schools and the private sector about the need to protect student privacy. Sincerely, (JEORGE MIL 7 Koo Member of Congress, 7th District This mailing was at taxpayer expense.