Cipa compliance is a prerequisite for receiving erate funding discounts to pay for communications services like internet connections and for now voice. Interact with schools and libraries division sld on all application approval issues. Cipa childrens internet protection act compliance is required for an entity to become and remain eligible for the erate program. You can find out more about cipa or apply for erate funding by contacting the universal service administrative company s usac schools and libraries division sld. If an entity is found to be noncompliant, it could be required to return erate funds received during the period of noncompliance to usac. Review discount numbers to ensure compliance with program rules. Erate program a program that makes certain communications technology more affordable for eligible schools and libraries. Our document submission and lesson tracking solutions allow you to. Despite considerable efforts by the people responsible for enforcing cipa erateusac and the fcc, there remains confusion among those required to interpret or. Software, services or systems used to create or edit internet content internal connections ic priority two support for equipment and cabling onsite that transport information to classrooms or public rooms of a library from 2010 training.
Note that if the fcc form 486 is filed after the fcc form 486 deadline, usac will adjust the service start date and funding may be reduced. Childrens internet protection act the childrens internet protection act cipa is a federal law enacted by congress in 2000 to address concerns about access to offensive content over the. Fcc form 486 with information on filing the form as well as cipa guidance fast forward to about 20. Schools and libraries are required to certify that they have their safety policies and technology in place, showing cipa compliance, before receiving erate funding. Erate is a program run by usac, the universal service administrative company usac, which is an independent, notforprofit corporation. School or library administrative authorities certify their. While reasonable efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of this document, the federal communications commission fcc and the. Childrens internet protection act cipa federal communications. If you are not asking for erate, then cipa does not apply to you. Cipa compliancemust discuss at public hearing or public board meeting any changes in internet acceptable use policy andor internet filtering software. Contractsservice agreements signed with service providers. Learn about epc usacs online application portal for erate watch videos from usac on.
It requires schools and libraries receiving certain types of federal funding to filter or block internet access to visual depictions of material that is obscene, child pornography, and when minors are using the computer, material that is harmful to minors. Stem school improvement environmental grants search writing. Our document submission and lesson tracking solutions allow you to meet this requirement with little effort, less paperwork and by providing instant access to customizable compliance reports via our online portal. Fcc form 479 filing universal service administrative company. The process for administering a positive funding commitment is further explained in the flow chart below. Home full service erate consulting welcome to erate. Cipa compliance erate cipa bid management consulting services. This could be a significant loss to erate applicants. According to usac, erate recipients must enforce a policy of internet safety and certify compliance with the childrens internet protection act cipa to be eligible for. The schools and libraries universal service support program, commonly known as the erate program, helps schools and libraries to obtain affordable broadband. Funding may be requested under two categories of service. If an entity is found to be noncompliant, it will be required to reimburse usac for all funds received during the period of noncompliance this could amount to a loss of hundreds of thousands to millions of.
Ncipa a quick note the neighborhood childrens internet protection act ncipa was passed into law at the same time as cipa. This faq provides an overview of the 2014 erate modernization and the issue of cipa compliance. Its so important that eligibility for erate funding hinges on schools and libraries cipa compliance. The universal services agency company usac processes all erate requests and submissions. Their free, stepby step toolkit creates the framework, as well as practical guides and lessons for teachers, to implement the internet safety requirements. Enduser devices get the latest strategies to help deploy and manage the computers, tablets, and other devices your employees use every day data center. Untangle can help schools and libraries with cipa compliance. Must continue to educate minors about appropriate online behavior and document the training. Beyond first year cipa template pdf please refer to usac s website for detailed cipa compliance measures.
The erate short for education rate is a nationwide program that offers public and private schools and libraries the opportunity to receive substantial discounts on a wide range of advanced telecommunications services including internet access, distance learning and videoconferencing service, high speed data connections, and internal wiring and. Professional services and technical support may also be eligible. Implementing a web content wifi filter for cipa compliance. Welcome to all usac erate service providers for 20202021. Libraries must enforce the use of a technology protection measure i. Childrens internet protection act cipa guidance for libraries. Sep 20, 2018 who is responsible for cipa compliance. Cipa requires internet safety education a good source for administrators looking for straightforward ways to comply with the education mandates of cipa is. In addition, we have a handy cipa policy compliance checklist below for your convenience. Cipa requires k12 schools and libraries using erate. The fccs second cipa order fcc 03188 became effective august 14, 2003 upon the approval of the revised fcc forms 486 and 479 by the. All schools, regardless of methodology, receiving new students after the instruction has occurred need to develop and implement a.
For example, any necessary procurement procedures to comply with the requirements of cipa. Usac administers the universal service fund under the direction of the federal communications commission fcc. Applicants must certify compliance with the childrens internet protection act cipa to be eligible for schools and libraries erate program discounts on. From the creation of your schools technology plan through the final receipt of all of the approved dollars that your organization is eligible to receive, your csm erate program consultant will guide you through the entire erate process. Erate program the erate program is a federally funded program providing discounts to school and public libraries for their broadband services, internet access, and related equipment. Cipa requirements excerpted from the application section of usac. The reason for this is that it is a violation of first. Cipa and filters erate funding for libraries libguides home at. Turn your students into safe, smart, responsible digital citizens and help your school keep valuable federal support for technology at the same time. You can find out more about cipa or apply for erate funding by contacting the universal service administrative company. Childrens internet protection act cipa and form 486 schools. Cipa compliance lauren abner kentucky department for libraries and archives 5025641728 lauren.
If an entity is found to be noncompliant, it will be. School or library administrative authorities certify their institutions enforcement of an internet safety policy that includes mechanisms that block or filter internet access to objectionable materials. Usac has been designated by the federal communications commission fcc as the administrator of universal service. If an entity is found to be noncompliant, it could be. The erate short for education rate is a nationwide program that offers public and private schools and libraries the opportunity to receive. A brief faq august 2017 robert bocher, senior fellow, ala office for information technology policy oitp over the past several years the federal communications commission fcc has initiated the most comprehensive reforms of the erate program since its inception in 1996.
Cipa does not stipulate the type of web content filter that must be implemented. Meet your trusted utah it support professionals today first, lets get something straight. Government programs can seem like alphabet soup when it comes to acronyms and other jargon. Minor is defined as any individual who has not attained the age of 17 years. Usac must receive an invoice in order to pay the discount amount on services for which funds have been committed. You are in compliance with the childrens internet protection act cipa or cipa does not apply because your application is only for telecommunications services. Usac must receive an invoice in order to pay the discount amount on services for which funds have been. Childrens internet protection act fact sheet for public. School or library administrative authorities certify their institutions. The universal service fund helps communities and people across the u. Schools and libraries must certify they are in compliance with cipa before they. Cipa is the childrens internet protection act, and was passed in late 2000. If applicants receive discounts on their bills from service providers, the service providers must. You may send your cipa form via email, fax or traditional postal service mail to.
Schools and libraries are required to certify that they. Webinar libraries, filtering and erate, with maria bernier from csl and mark brochu from cen. Csm offers a complete endtoend solution to all of your erate program needs. The childrens internet protection act cipa was enacted on april 20, 2001 and was created to ensure that elementary and secondary schools looking to obtain erate. For the purposes of cipa, a school or library that is a recipient of service is considered to have applied for funds in a funding year after usac successfully processes an fcc form 486 with. The agency profile should include basic information pertinent to the applicants technology plan. Cipa is intended to keep young users safe online, and while the cause is noble, compliance presents a real challenge for organizations. Csm usac and fcc erate program services your endtoend. Eligible schools, school districts and libraries may apply individually or as part of a consortium. There are three requirements that all applicants must meet in order to be considered cipa compliant.
Toolkit for teachers turn your students into safe, smart, responsible digital citizens and help your school keep valuable federal support for technology at the same time. Sld also operates a client service bureau to answer questions at 18882038100 or via email through the. Cipa compliance is a prerequisite for receiving erate funding discounts to pay for communications services like internet connections and for now voice services. Cipa compliance resources checklist childrens safety. Compliance home letters and forms letters and formsa0 document compliance manuals manualsa0 pria pria0 aircraft conformity n189tm conformity n189tm conformitya0. The schools and libraries program of the universal service fund erate is. Cipa compliance documents must adhere to usac s 10 year document retention rules. Requirements for cipa compliance are outlined on oplins webpage here.
Connecting communities to better education and health care services. Cipa compliance documents must adhere to usacs 10 year document retention rules. Libraries receiving erate discounts on products and services that provide access to the internet must comply with the requirements of the childrens internet protection act cipa. Cipa is one of a number of bills that the us congress proposed to limit childrens exposure to pornography and explicit content online. For the purposes of cipa, a school or library that is a recipient of service is considered to have applied for funds in a funding year after usac successfully processes an fcc form 486 with at least one funding request for services that require cipa compliance and that include that school or library. For more information, read the cipa and filters page. The childrens internet protection act cipa was enacted by congress in 2000 to.
The schools within the catholic diocese of lincoln have been cipa childrens. Cipa does not require the tracking of internet use by minors or adults. Our document submission and lesson tracking solutions allow you to meet this requirement with. The universal service administrative company has been contracted by the fcc to manage all erate applications. Were talking about the childrens internet protection act cipa, the federal legislation that requires schools and libraries to restrict access to obscene or harmful content on the internet. Any changes require public notice board meeting qualifies. The relevant authority with responsibility for administration of the erate eligible school or library must certify the status of its compliance for the. Cipa universal service administrative company usac. Certification by administrative authority to billed entity of compliance with the childrens internet protection act fcc form 479 instructions after filing fcc form 479. Correspondence with service providers regarding bidding process. Fortunately, sophos provides tools and solutions to. Erate works by providing discounts averaging 6080% on these services.