[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2157 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2157

To commission a study by the Federal Trade Commission of the marketing 
practices of the motion picture, recording, and video/personal computer 
                            game industries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 1999

Mr. Lucas of Kentucky introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                      to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To commission a study by the Federal Trade Commission of the marketing 
practices of the motion picture, recording, and video/personal computer 
                            game industries.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STUDY OF MARKETING PRACTICES OF MOTION PICTURE, RECORDING, 
              AND VIDEO/PERSONAL COMPUTER GAME INDUSTRIES.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal Trade Commission and the 
        Attorney General shall jointly conduct a study of the marketing 
        practices of the motion picture, recording, and video/personal 
        computer game industries.
            (2) Issues examined.--In conducting the study under 
        paragraph (1), the Commission and the Attorney General shall 
        examine--
                    (A) the extent to which the motion picture, 
                recording, and video/personal computer industries 
                target the marketing of violent, sexually explicit, or 
                other unsuitable material to minors, including whether 
                such content is advertised or promoted in media outlets 
                in which minors comprise a substantial percentage of 
                the audience;
                    (B) the extent to which retail merchants, movie 
                theaters, or others who engage in the sale or rental 
                for a fee of products of the motion picture, recording, 
                and video/personal computer industries--
                            (i) have policies to restrict the sale, 
                        rental, or viewing to minors of music, movies, 
                        or video/personal computer games that are 
                        deemed inappropriate for minors under the 
                        applicable voluntary industry rating or 
                        labeling systems; and
                            (ii) have procedures compliant with such 
                        policies;
                    (C) whether and to what extent the motion picture, 
                recording, and video/personal computer industries 
                require, monitor, or encourage the enforcement of their 
                respective voluntary rating or labeling systems by 
                industry members, retail merchants, movie theaters, or 
                others who engage in the sale or rental for a fee of 
                the products of such industries;
                    (D) whether any of the marketing practices examined 
                may violate Federal law; and
                    (E) whether and to what extent the motion picture, 
                recording, and video/personal computer industries 
                engage in actions to educate the public on the 
                existence, use, or efficacy of their voluntary rating 
                or labeling systems.
            (3) Factors for determination.--In determining whether the 
        products of the motion picture, recording, or video/personal 
        computer industries are violent, sexually explicit, or 
        otherwise unsuitable for minors for the purposes of paragraph 
        (2)(A), the Commission and the Attorney General shall consider 
        the voluntary industry rating or labeling systems of the 
        industry concerned as in effect on the date of the enactment of 
        this Act.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission and the Attorney General shall 
submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection 
(a).
    (c) Authority.--For the purposes of the study conducted under 
subsection (a), the Commission may use its authority under section 6(b) 
of the Federal Trade Commission Act to require the filing of reports or 
answers in writing to specific questions, as well as to obtain 
information, oral testimony, documentary material, or tangible things.
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