RALEIGH - Children under 18 would have to get parental consent to join MySpace.com and other social networking Web sites under a bill approved today by a state Senate appropriations committee.

Sen. Walter Dalton, a Rutherfordton Democrat, said the bill could come to the Senate floor later today, though that is not certain. The measure still has to gain approval in the House.

If the legislation passes, North Carolina would be the first state in the country to place such requirements on MySpace.com and other such Web sites. Lawmakers in Georgia and Connecticut are considering similar proposals.

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper has been pushing for the legislation, saying it would protect children from sexual predators who target victims online. Cooper is co-chairman of a group of 50 state attorneys general trying to negotiate with MySpace.com on the issue.

Earlier this week, MySpace released the names of 245 registered sex offenders from North Carolina who have used the site. MySpace has deleted 7,000 profiles from registered sex offenders from across the country as part of a new security measure launched in this month.

Cooper has handed over the names to the State Bureau of Investigation and probation officials.

“This information gives law enforcement another way to learn about predators who could have easy access to children. We’ll keep pushing for more information to help law enforcement and parents protect children and for tougher laws against predators,” Cooper said in a statement.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.