[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 134 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 262
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 134
[Report No. 113-126]
To arrange for the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of
violent video games and violent video programming on children.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 24 (legislative day, January 3), 2013
Mr. Rockefeller (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Johanns,
Mr. Heller, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Pryor) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
December 17, 2013
Reported by Mr. Rockefeller, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To arrange for the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of
violent video games and violent video programming on children.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Violent Content Research
Act of 2013''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. STUDY; NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal
Communications Commission, and the Department of Health and Human
Services, jointly, shall undertake to enter into appropriate
arrangements with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a
comprehensive study and investigation of--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) whether there is a connection between exposure
to violent video games and harmful effects on children;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) whether there is a connection between exposure
to violent video programming and harmful effects on
children.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Contents of Study and Investigation.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Violent video games.--The study and
investigation under subsection (a) shall include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) whether the exposure listed under
subsection (a)(1)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) causes children to act
aggressively or causes other measurable harm to
children;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) has a disproportionately
harmful effect on children already prone to
aggressive behavior or on other identifiable
groups of children; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) has a harmful effect that is
distinguishable from any negative effects
produced by other types of media;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) whether any harm identified under
subparagraph (A)(i) has a direct and long-lasting
impact on a child's well-being; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) whether current or emerging
characteristics of video games have a unique impact on
children, considering in particular video games'
interactive nature and the extraordinarily personal and
vivid way violence might be portrayed in such video
games.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Violent video programming.--The study and
investigation under subsection (a) shall include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) whether the exposure listed under
subsection (a)(2)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) causes children to act
aggressively or causes other measurable harm to
children;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) has a disproportionately
harmful effect on children already prone to
aggressive behavior or on other identifiable
groups of children; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) has a harmful effect that is
distinguishable from any negative effects
produced by other types of media; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) whether any harm identified under
subparagraph (A)(i) has a direct and long-lasting
impact on a child's well-being.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Future research.--The study and investigation
under subsection (a) shall identify gaps in the current state
of research which, if closed, could provide additional
information regarding any causal connection--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) between exposure to violent video
games and behavior; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) between exposure to violent video
programming and behavior.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Report.--In entering into any arrangements with the
National Academy of Sciences for conducting the study and investigation
under this section, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal
Communications Commission, and the Department of Health and Human
Services shall request the National Academy of Sciences to submit, not
later than 15 months after the date on which such arrangements are
completed, a report on the results of the study and investigation to--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Congress;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) the Federal Trade Commission;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) the Federal Communications Commission;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) the Department of Health and Human
Services.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Violent Content Research Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. STUDY; NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications
Commission, and the Department of Health and Human Services, jointly,
shall undertake to enter into appropriate arrangements with the
National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study and
investigation of--
(1) whether there is a connection between exposure to
violent video games and harmful effects on children that is
distinguishable from the effects of any other factors; and
(2) whether there is a connection between exposure to
violent video programming and harmful effects on children that
is distinguishable from the effects of any other factors.
(b) Contents of Study and Investigation.--
(1) Violent video games.--The study and investigation under
subsection (a) shall include--
(A) whether the exposure listed under subsection
(a)(1)--
(i) causes children to act aggressively or
causes other measurable harm to children;
(ii) has a disproportionately harmful
effect on the behavior of children already
prone to aggression or on the behavior of other
identifiable groups of children; and
(iii) has a harmful effect on children's
behavior that is distinguishable from any
negative effects produced by other types of
media;
(B) whether any harm identified under subparagraph
(A)(i) has a direct and long-lasting impact on a
child's well-being; and
(C) whether current or emerging characteristics of
violent video games have a uniquely harmful effect on
the behavior of children, considering in particular
such games' concretely interactive nature.
(2) Violent video programming.--The study and investigation
under subsection (a) shall include--
(A) whether the exposure listed under subsection
(a)(2)--
(i) causes children to act aggressively or
causes other measurable harm to children;
(ii) has a disproportionately harmful
effect on the behavior of children already
prone to aggression or on the behavior of other
identifiable groups of children; and
(iii) has a harmful effect on children's
behavior that is distinguishable from any
negative effects produced by other types of
media; and
(B) whether any harm identified under subparagraph
(A)(i) has a direct and long-lasting impact on a
child's well-being.
(3) Future research.--The study and investigation under
subsection (a) shall identify gaps in the current state of
research which, if closed, could provide information regarding
any causal connection--
(A) between exposure to violent video games and
harmful effects on children's behavior; and
(B) between exposure to violent video programming
and harmful effects on children's behavior.
(c) Report.--In entering into any arrangements with the National
Academy of Sciences for conducting the study and investigation under
this section, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications
Commission, and the Department of Health and Human Services shall
request the National Academy of Sciences to submit, not later than 15
months after the date on which such arrangements are completed, a
report on the results of the study and investigation to--
(1) Congress;
(2) the Federal Trade Commission;
(3) the Federal Communications Commission; and
(4) the Department of Health and Human Services.
Calendar No. 262
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 134
[Report No. 113-126]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To arrange for the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of
violent video games and violent video programming on children.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 17, 2013
Reported with an amendment