VIDEO GAMES & GOVERNMENT REGULATION

The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) opposes legislative efforts to regulate video game content or restrict access to video games.

This page tracks current anti-gaming legislation. If you would like to help the ECA in its efforts to protect gaming consumers from restrictive legislation, consider writing to Congress and becoming a member today.

FEDERAL

United States Senate

S568 "Truth in Video Game Rating Act"

Sponsor: Sen. Brownback (R-KS)

Prohibits any rating organization from assigning a content rating to any video or computer game unless it has reviewed its entire playable content; prohibits any producer, seller, or distributor of such games from withholding or hiding any such content from a rating organization; requires any person submitting to a rating organization a video or computer game with hidden content to accompany it with the codes or methods necessary to access such hidden content; and prohibits a rating organization from providing a content rating that grossly mischaracterizes the game content.

Status: Referred to Committee

United States House of Representatives

HR1531 "Video Game Decency Act of 2007"

Sponsor: Rep. Upton (R-MI 6th)

Makes it unlawful for any person to distribute any video game whose label contains an age-based content rating if, with the intent of obtaining a less restrictive age-based rating, that person fails to disclose game content to an independent ratings organization, with the result that the video game receives a less-restrictive age-based content rating; treats any violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice; and preempts state or local law or regulation related to video game content rating.

Status: Referred to Committee

HR2958 "Children Protection from Video Game Violence and Sexual Content Act"

Sponsor: Rep. Baca (D-CA 43rd)

Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FCC) to study and report to Congress on the system employed by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to assign ratings to video games, including the FCC's opinion on whether the system exposes children to excessive violence and sexual content; requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the impact of video games on the mental stability and growth of children and young adults.

Status: Referred to Sub-Committee

HR3899 "Parents' Empowerment Act"

Sponsor: Rep. Hunter (R-CA 52nd)

Authorizes a minor, through a person acting on his or her behalf under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to bring a civil action in U.S. district court for compensatory and punitive damages for the knowing sale or distribution of an entertainment product containing material harmful to minors, if: (1) a reasonable person would expect a substantial number of minors to be exposed to the material; and (2) the minor as a result of such exposure is likely to suffer personal or emotional injury or injury to mental or moral welfare. The bill would create an affirmative defense to such an action that: (1) a parent or guardian of the minor owned or possessed the entertainment product containing the material to which the minor was exposed; and (2) an act of that parent or guardian was the proximate cause of the minor's exposure.

Status: Referred to Committee

HR5990 “Video Games Rating Enforcement Act”

Sponsor: Rep. Matheson (D-UT 2^nd)

Requires ratings labels on video games and prohibits sales and rentals of M and AO rated video games to minors.

Status: Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce

To find these and other Congressional bills, please go here and type in the bill number.

STATES

There are currently twenty pending bills in the following five states:

Delaware

HB77 Would prohibit the sale or rental of (1) any rated video game unless the official rating is clearly displayed; or (2) any unrated video games without "not rated" posted on it; or (3) any M or AO rated video game any person under the age of 18.

Kansas

HB2104 Would prohibit retailers from selling or displaying ESRB-rated M or AO games to those under 18.

Massachusetts

HB1423 Would restrict the sale of video games with violent content to minors.

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New York

AB10057 Requires owners of commercial establishments which purchase and resell second hand video games to keep accurate records of those transactions.

AB2024 Would prohibit the sale of mature and violent video games to people under the age of 18.

SB2783/AB4949 Would prohibit the sale of certain rated video games to people under the age of 18.

AB2787 Would prohibit the sale of explicit and violent video games to people under the age of 18 and requires labeling thereof.

SB3209/AB6043 Would mandate that persons who sell or rent video games shall display a warning with respect to the relationship between playing video games and epileptic seizures.

AB6376 Would impose additional tax on certain food and drink items, and imposes a tax on video games, commercials, and movies.

SB3866/AB547 Would prohibit the sale of mature and violent video games to people under the age of 18.

SB5888/AB8723 Would establish the advisory council on interactive media and youth violence.

SB5941/AB8696 Would establish the class E felony of disseminating violent and indecent video games to people under the age of 18.

SB6401/AB9310 Would establish the class E felony of disseminating violent and indecent video games to people under the age of 18.

Pennsylvania

HR94 Would direct the joint state government commission to establish a task force to investigate the effects of violent interactive video games in context with all other media forms children are exposed to in this commonwealth.