'Cyberbullying' bill, aimed at stopping e-mail harassment, is passed by House
by Ed Anderson - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Using the Internet and other forms of electronic communications to harass or threaten young people should be a crime, the House said Wednesday. Lawmakers voted 77-16 for House Bill 1259 by Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, to create the crime of "cyberbullying" or using e-mail messages and other electronic means to "abuse, torment ... or cause emotional distress to a person under the age of 17." "This is a serious problem; we have overlooked it until these kids started dying," Burrell said, referring to high-profile teen suicides around the nation that began with harassing electronic threats or messages from schoolmates. A first-time offender could be fined up to $500, jailed for up to six months or both. A second conviction could result in a maximum fine of $2,000, up to a year in jail or both. Subsequent offenses, Burrell said, could result in a top fine of $5,000 a jail sentence for at least one year and up to three years or both. The bill heads to the Senate for more debate. The House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice also approved House Bill 453 by Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, to increase the "drug-free zones" around schools, playgrounds and day-care centers from 1,000 to 2,000 feet.