I
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, record-
ing, and video/personal computer game industries.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. STUDY OF MARKETING PRACTICES OF MOTION
PICTURE, 
RECORDING, 
AND 
VIDEO/PER-
SONAL COMPUTER GAME INDUSTRIES.
(a) STUDY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Trade Commis-
sion and the Attorney General shall jointly conduct
a study of the marketing practices of the motion pic-
ture, 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 indus-
tries 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 audi-
ence;
(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, mov-
ies, 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 en-
gage in the sale or rental for a fee of the prod-
ucts of such industries;
(D) whether any of the marketing prac-
tices 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 pub-
lic on the existence, use, or efficacy of their vol-
untary rating or labeling systems.
(3) FACTORS FOR DETERMINATION.—In deter-
mining 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 At-
torney General shall submit to Congress a report on the
study conducted under subsection (a).
(c) AUTHORITY.—For the purposes of the study con-
ducted under subsection (a), the Commission may use its
authority under section 6(b) of the Federal Trade Com-
mission Act to require the filing of reports or answers in
writing to specific questions, as well as to obtain informa-
tion, oral testimony, documentary material, or tangible
things.
Æ