I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2756
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Commu-
nications Commission to establish a toll free telephone number for the
collection of complaints concerning violence on broadcast and cable tele-
vision, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 27, 1993
Mr. KENNEDY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the
Federal Communications Commission to establish a toll
free telephone number for the collection of complaints
concerning violence on broadcast and cable television,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Parents Television
Empowerment Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The average American child watches 8,000
murders and 100,000 acts of violence on television
before finishing elementary school.
(2) Many of the poorest and potentially most
vulnerable groups in our society are the heaviest
viewers of television.
(3) Television violence is often presented with-
out context or judgment as to its acceptability.
(4) Most of the violence on television is pre-
sented during times when children are likely to be
viewing.
(5) The 1972 Surgeon General’s Report, Tele-
vision and Growing Up: The Impact of Televised Vi-
olence, found that there was a significant and con-
sistent correlation between television viewing and ag-
gressive behavior and a direct, causal link between
exposure to televised violence and subsequent ag-
gressive behavior on the part of the viewer.
(6) The 1982 National Institute of Mental
Health report, Television and Behavior: Ten Years
of Scientific Progress and Implications for the
Eighties, found that ‘‘violence on television does lead
to aggressive behavior by children and teenagers who
watch the programs,’’ and that some viewers learn
to be passive victims.
(7) Numerous other studies establish a causal
connection between watching violence on television
and increasingly violent behavior of children.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT.
Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 714. COMPILATION AND PUBLICATION OF COM-
PLAINTS CONCERNING VIOLENT PROGRAM-
MING.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF FACILITY FOR THE COL-
LECTION OF COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS.—The Com-
mission shall, within 6 months after the date of enactment
of this section, establish a toll-free number for the collec-
tion of comments, suggestions, and complaints from the
public concerning the transmission by broadcast stations
or cable systems of programming containing depictions of
violence. The Commission shall take such steps as may
be necessary to publicize such number and the Commis-
sion’s functions under this section.
‘‘(b) PUBLICATION
OF DATA CONCERNING COM-
PLAINTS.—The Commission shall publish in the Federal
Register, on a quarterly basis, a summary of the com-
ments, suggestions, and complaints received pursuant to
subsection (a) during the preceding period. Such summary
shall include—
‘‘(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Commission shall
include in each annual report to Congress under section
4(k) an analysis of the complaints received pursuant to
this section. Such analysis shall include—
‘‘(1) an evaluation of whether, consistent with
its obligations to serve the public interest and meet
the educational and informational need of children,
the broadcasting industry has effectively responded
to the comments, suggestions, and complaints re-
ceived pursuant to this section regarding video pro-
gramming containing depictions of violence;
‘‘(2) such recommendations as the Commission
considers appropriate to secure more conscientious
fulfillment of those obligations with regard to such
programming.’’.
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