Kansas introduces violent videogames bill
Despite the repeated failure of proposed legislation to prohibit the sale of violent videogames to minors, yet another US state has introduced a remarkably similar bill to its House Judiciary Committee for review.
Despite the repeated failure of proposed legislation to prohibit the sale of violent videogames to minors, yet another US state has introduced a remarkably similar bill to its House Judiciary Committee for review.
Democrat Jim Ward has introduced bill HB2921, under the title "The Child Protection from Violent Video Games Act", which would call for a fine of up to USD 1000 for retailers who sell Mature or Adult Only rated videogames to any consumers aged less than 18 years old. Fines of up to USD 2,500 would be enforced for repeated offences.
Similar to previous legislative efforts in other US states, the bill states that retailers accused of an offence may have a defence if the consumer provided false ID or there was "reasonable cause to believe the person was of legal age to purchase or receive such game." The bill also states that any fines imposed could be made against the actual individual responsible for selling the game, the retailer, or both.
The Kansas bill is, like so many of the others before it, unlikely to be implemented on the grounds of constitutionality. Utah's legislative efforts were recently reviewed by constitutional law experts at the Pennsylvania Centre for the First Amendment, who stated that the bill "violates the First Amendment protection of free expression".
Similar bills in Michigan, Illinois, California and other US states have all been contested by the Entertainment Software Association and other trade bodies, the legal precedent now firmly set against implementation of the proposals as law.