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Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

HF 2271

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.
  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to violence; requiring the department of 
  1.3             children, families, and learning to prepare a report 
  1.4             on effective ways to control juvenile access to 
  1.5             violent video games; requiring a scientific study on 
  1.6             how violent video games encourage aggressive acts by 
  1.7             juveniles. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [JUVENILE ACCESS TO VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES; 
  1.10  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; REPORT.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [REPORT.] (a) The department of children, 
  1.12  families, and learning shall prepare and submit a report to the 
  1.13  legislature, not later than January 31, 2000, on the most 
  1.14  effective ways for parents to control juvenile access to violent 
  1.15  video games. 
  1.16     (b) The department shall ensure that the report includes, 
  1.17  at a minimum: 
  1.18     (1) a study of the types of violence existing in video 
  1.19  games available on the retail and rental market or over the 
  1.20  Internet; 
  1.21     (2) recommendations for educating parents about the level 
  1.22  of violence existing in video games available to juveniles, 
  1.23  including identification of types of violent video games that 
  1.24  may be harmful to specific age groups of juveniles; 
  1.25     (3) a list of nonviolent video game alternatives for 
  1.26  juveniles; and 
  2.1      (4) recommendations on the most effective techniques for 
  2.2   parents to allow juveniles access to only age-appropriate video 
  2.3   games. 
  2.4      (c) In preparing the report, the department shall also 
  2.5   include any current research that links violent television 
  2.6   shows, movies, and video games to acts of aggression and 
  2.7   violence by juveniles. 
  2.8      Subd. 2.  [SCIENTIFIC STUDY.] The department of children, 
  2.9   families, and learning shall implement and obtain, through a 
  2.10  request for proposal process, a definitive scientific study, in 
  2.11  addition to and exceeding the report mandated in subdivision 1.  
  2.12  The department shall ensure that the study addresses: 
  2.13     (1) whether, and to what extent, violent video games 
  2.14  encourage or increase aggressive acts by juveniles exposed to 
  2.15  those games, with specificity regarding specific games and types 
  2.16  of games, and with specificity regarding juvenile age groups; 
  2.17  and 
  2.18     (2) effective methods for parental control of juvenile 
  2.19  access to violent video games and for abatement of aggressive 
  2.20  juvenile behaviors related to violent video games.