HF 3180

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to commerce; banning the sale or rental of 
  1.3             certain video games to children; prohibiting the 
  1.4             public showing, display, or other exhibition of 
  1.5             certain video games in specified places; providing 
  1.6             remedies; requiring a study; providing penalties; 
  1.7             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.8             chapter 325I. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [325I.10] [RESTRICTED VIDEO GAMES; 
  1.11  PROHIBITIONS.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION.] As used in this section, the 
  1.13  term "restricted video game" means a video game rated AO or M by 
  1.14  the entertainment software rating board. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [PROHIBITED ACTS.] (a) No person may sell or rent 
  1.16  a restricted video game to a person under 17 years of age. 
  1.17     (b) No person may show, display, exhibit, or permit the 
  1.18  showing, display, or other exhibition of a restricted video game 
  1.19  when the showing, display, or exhibition is visible from any 
  1.20  public street or public place. 
  1.21     (c) No person who operates a place of business in which 
  1.22  restricted video games are shown, displayed, or exhibited may 
  1.23  knowingly permit or allow any person under 17 years of age to 
  1.24  patronize, visit, or loiter in that place of business. 
  1.25     Subd. 3.  [PENALTIES.] (a) A person who violates 
  1.26  subdivision 2 is guilty of a misdemeanor. 
  1.27     (b) The public and private remedies in section 8.31 apply 
  2.1   to violation of this section. 
  2.2      Sec. 2.  [JUVENILE ACCESS TO VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES; REPORT.] 
  2.3      (a) The department of public safety shall prepare and 
  2.4   submit a report to the legislature, not later than January 15, 
  2.5   2001, that includes, at a minimum: 
  2.6      (1) a compilation of the violent video games available on 
  2.7   the retail and rental market or over the Internet; and 
  2.8      (2) existing research about the level of violence existing 
  2.9   in video games available to juveniles and the potential harmful 
  2.10  effects of them. 
  2.11     (b) In preparing the report, the department shall also 
  2.12  include any current research that links violent television 
  2.13  shows, movies, and video games to acts of aggression and 
  2.14  violence by juveniles.