Legislation meant to ensure the safety of students' electronic records has raised a red flag at the Internet Association, which believes some parts of the bill could prove an administrative nightmare for Internet businesses.

The Student Privacy Protection Act would reinforce existing law concerning what information about students is accessible online. Among other things, the bill would require educational institutions to seek parental consent before releasing a student's records to third parties. It would also extend current protections to homeschool students.

In a letter to lawmakers, Internet Association CEO Michael Beckerman commended them for their work, but pointed out problems that could create undue costs to his members. One was a vaguely worded provision requiring notices in case of a "breach of the security practices," which could be as minor as an employee failing to log off a computer after going out for a cup of coffee, he wrote.

Another provision requires educational software providers to adhere to "commonly accepted industry standards on privacy protections" even through there really isn't one set of standards, according to Beckerman.

"These concerns are compounded by the fact that the bill, as currently drafted, does not preempt state law and create a meaningful national standard in this area," he wrote.

The bill is currently before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. http://bit.ly/1fIdImD

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