[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 602 Referred in House (RFH)]

  2d Session
                                 S. 602


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2008

            Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
     To develop the next generation of parental control technology.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Video programming has a direct impact on a child's 
        perception of safe and reasonable behavior.
            (2) Children may imitate actions they witness on video 
        programming, including language, drug use, and sexual conduct.
            (3) Studies suggest that the strong appeal of video 
        programming erodes the ability of parents to develop 
        responsible attitudes and behavior in their children.
            (4) The average American child watches 4 hours of 
        television each day.
            (5) 99.9 percent of all consumer complaints logged by the 
        Federal Communications Commission in the first quarter of 2006 
        regarding radio and television broadcasting were because of 
        obscenity, indecency, and profanity.
            (6) There is a compelling government interest in empowering 
        parents to limit their children's exposure to harmful 
        television content.
            (7) Section 1 of the Communications Act of 1934 requires 
        the Federal Communications Commission to promote the safety of 
        life and property through the use of wire and radio 
        communications.
            (8) In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress 
        authorized Parental Choice in Television Programming and the V-
        Chip. Congress further directed action on alternative blocking 
        technology as new video technology advanced.

SEC. 3. EXAMINATION OF ADVANCED BLOCKING TECHNOLOGIES AND EXISTING 
              PARENTAL EMPOWERMENT TOOLS.

    (a) Inquiry Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall 
initiate a notice of inquiry to consider measures to examine--
            (1) the existence and availability of advanced blocking 
        technologies that are compatible with various communications 
        devices or platforms;
            (2) methods of encouraging the development, deployment, and 
        use of such technology by parents that do not affect the 
        packaging or pricing of a content provider's offering; and
            (3) the existence, availability, and use of parental 
        empowerment tools and initiatives already in the market.
    (b) Content of Proceeding.--In conducting the inquiry required 
under subsection (a), the Commission shall consider advanced blocking 
technologies that--
            (1) may be appropriate across a wide variety of 
        distribution platforms, including wired, wireless, and Internet 
        platforms;
            (2) may be appropriate across a wide variety of devices 
        capable of transmitting or receiving video or audio 
        programming, including television sets, DVD players, VCRs, 
        cable set top boxes, satellite receivers, and wireless devices;
            (3) can filter language based upon information in closed 
        captioning;
            (4) operate independently of ratings pre-assigned by the 
        creator of such video or audio programming; and
            (5) may be effective in enhancing the ability of a parent 
        to protect his or her child from indecent or objectionable 
        programming, as determined by such parent.
    (c) Reporting.--Not later than 270 days after the enactment of this 
Act, the Commission shall issue a report to Congress detailing any 
findings resulting from the inquiry required under subsection (a).
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``advanced blocking 
technologies'' means technologies that can improve or enhance the 
ability of a parent to protect his or her child from any indecent or 
objectionable video or audio programming, as determined by such parent, 
that is transmitted through the use of wire, wireless, or radio 
communication.

            Passed the Senate October 1 (legislative day, September 
      17), 2008.

            Attest:

                                                NANCY ERICKSON,

                                                             Secretary.