BILL REQ. #:  S-4133.1 

Read first time 01/26/2004.   Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services & Corrections.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, Video and computer games have become increasingly violent and realistic, are extremely popular with children, and are widely available to and used by children in their own homes; and
     WHEREAS, There is empirical evidence that use of interactive video and computer games by children has a high tendency to lead to increases in aggressive attitudes and behaviors in children; and
     WHEREAS, Children who have committed violent or homicidal acts against others have been found to have had significant exposure to violent video and computer games; and
     WHEREAS, Due to concerns about the relationship between youth violence and video and computer games, the entertainment industry producing these games adopted a rating system that includes ratings of "Early Childhood," "Everyone," "Teen," "Mature," "Adults Only," and "Rating Pending" for computer and video games; and
     WHEREAS, Teenagers spend millions of dollars annually on video games, making teen purchasers a highly valuable demographic group to the producers and distributors of entertainment products; and
     WHEREAS, The Federal Trade Commission has found that video game producers routinely target children under age seventeen in advertisements of violent, "M-rated" video games; and
     WHEREAS, Television advertisements aimed at child users of violent video and computer games are calculated to and succeed in reaching children at all hours on cable and satellite television systems; and
     WHEREAS, The Nation has a compelling interest in eliminating the negative influences of violent video and computer games and in decreasing the desire of minors to purchase and use violent video and computer games by eliminating, insofar as possible, their exposure to advertisements touting these products;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress enact, and the President sign into law, a prohibition against television advertising of violent video and computer games that are rated "M" (Mature) or "For Adults Only."
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.