Tracking Legislation As a school administrator, you know that legislation greatly impacts schools. Keeping up with policy changes and new legislation becomes more difficult with the rise of digital information and Web-based communications. Policymakers and legislators must now grapple with how to monitor technologies that traverse over state and national borders. Fortunately, the technologies that make it hard to create policy also provide easy access to information about legislation. Governments themselves, as well as watch-dog groups, often post proposed legislation, revisions, and final versions on the Internet. Some legislatures also broadcast committe hearings over television and the Internet. Search the Web-based information given below for local and state resources that might impact your work. Tracking Legislation Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). CoSN's members present a cross-section of education, policy, and business. They share concerns related to using telecommunications to support teaching and learning. Their information resources and e-mail updates can help you keep abreast of the latest developments that impact educational telecommunications from the federal level. Thomas Legislative Information on the Internet. This Library of Congress service contains an extensive database of legislative information, such as the Congressional Record, the text of bills, and committee reports, that can be searched by bill number as well as key words. This information is often updated within 24 hours of latest action. Both the United States Senate and House of Representatives maintain Web sites with information such as contacts for every legislator, recent developments in legislation, and voting outcomes. The following section will focus on five legislative decisions and their impacts on technology use in schools. This information is offered as a guide and should not be considered a thorough explanation or interpretation of the law. Americans with Disabilities Act Children's Internet Protection Act Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Electronic Communications Privacy Act Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act