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S.R. 3
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RESOLUTION URGING TELEVISION
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NETWORKS TO AIR VIOLENT PROGRAMS
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ONLY LATE AT NIGHT
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2000 GENERAL SESSION
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STATE OF UTAH
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Sponsor: Scott N. Howell
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A RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE URGING TELEVISION NETWORKS TO LIMIT THE
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BROADCASTING OF VIOLENT PROGRAMS TO LATE EVENING HOURS; URGING THE
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MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA'S CLASSIFICATION AND RATINGS
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ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE MORE RESTRICTIVE RATINGS TO VIOLENT FILMS; AND
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URGING PRODUCERS OF VIDEO AND COMPUTER GAMES THAT ARE VIOLENT TO
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SUPPORT RESTRICTIONS PROHIBITING ANYONE UNDER 21 FROM PURCHASING THE
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GAMES.
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Be it resolved by the Senate of the state of Utah:
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WHEREAS, for many years the frequency and severity of violent acts portrayed in the
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media, including television programs, motion pictures, and computer and video games, has steadily
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increased;
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WHEREAS, studies have demonstrated a link between the viewing of violent
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entertainment and violent behavior, and express particular concern with the corrosive impact of
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violent entertainment on children;
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WHEREAS, entertainment rating systems alone have not curbed the exposure of children
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to violent entertainment;
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WHEREAS, motion picture, television, computer, and video game rating systems provide
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parents with useful and important information, but also lure many youth to seek out more
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restrictively rated entertainment;
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WHEREAS, violence permeates much of televised entertainment and is typically broadcast
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at times when it can easily be viewed by children;
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WHEREAS, the level of violence in films which do not restrict child attendance has
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increased sharply, particularly since the introduction of the PG-13 rating in 1984;
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WHEREAS, producers of media containing violence should assume increased
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responsibility to limit the exposure of children to its violent entertainment;
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WHEREAS, television networks, which voluntarily apply their own ratings, should review
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their programs and place a stronger rating on programs depicting violence and limit their broadcast
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of those programs to late in the evening;
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WHEREAS, the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Ratings
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Administration should re-examine the rating system and institute a more restrictive standard than
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is currently in place to rate films with violent content;
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WHEREAS, companies manufacturing and selling computer and video games containing
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graphic violence should support a restriction prohibiting anyone under 21 from purchasing the
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games; and
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WHEREAS, by shielding the nation's youth from violent entertainment, society can begin
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to stem its appetite for violent entertainment:
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah urges
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television networks to review their programs for violent content and place more restrictive ratings
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on violent shows.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah urges the Motion
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Picture Association of America's Classification and Ratings Administration to study the current
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rating system and apply a more restrictive standard than is currently in use when rating films with
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violent content.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah urges companies
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manufacturing and selling computer and video games containing graphic violence to support a
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restriction on the sales of the games to individuals 21 years of age or older.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the National
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Association of Broadcasters, the Motion Picture Association of America, the Classification and
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Ratings Administration, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, Nintendo of America, Inc.,
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the Sony Corporation, and Sega of America, Inc.
Legislative Review Note
as of 12-9-99 9:46 AM
A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.