There is a proposed measure, which recently passed the Senate subcommittee level, that aims to establish "harsh" punishment for retailers who violate ESRB ratings, reports IndyStar.com. The bill's author, Sen. David C. Ford, explained that his bill makes selling "Mature" or "Adults Only" games to minors a Class B infraction, punishable up to a fine of US$ 1,000. Having passed committee, the bill now moves to the Senate itself for full debate.
The committee vote on Senate Bill 238, which went 5-2 in favor, came after the members were shown clips of "M" rated games (they never said which games) on the flat-panel screen in the Senate chamber, used mainly to display congressional votes. (That in itself, we observe, must have been some change of pace). Sen. Vi Simpson, co-author of Bill 238, said:
You become the character, for better or for worse... If you think (children) are not playing these games because there's an "M" on the box, you're badly mistaken.
Retail and video game industry lobbyists have campaigned against the bill, but Sen. Ford dismissed such complaints, saying that his bill only "enforces" the ratings system. This bill comes in the midst of efforts by the ESRB and video games industry to reinforce "ratings discipline" - enlisting the help of parents to do the same with their kids, and of Senator Brownback's efforts to, in effect, make the ratings board play the whole game before giving it a rating.
