I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 669
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the sale or rental of 
adult video games to minors. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2003
Mr. BACA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the sale 
or rental of adult video games to minors.
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 ‘‘Protect Children from 
Video Game Sex and Violence Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The video game industry has grown into a 
$10 billion market for game software publishing, 
wholesaling, and retailing.
(2) The use and observation of video games 
that contain sexual or violent content can be harm-
ful to minors and reasonable restrictions will signifi-
cantly decrease the number of minors using these 
games. 
(3) On July 26, 2000, six of the Nation’s most 
respected public health groups, including the Amer-
ican Medical Association, the American Academy of 
Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physi-
cians, and the American Academy of Child and Ado-
lescent Psychiatry, found that viewing entertainment 
violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, 
behaviors, and values, particularly in children. 
(4) The ratings and content descriptors of video 
and computer games issued by the entertainment in-
dustry reflect the notion that certain video and com-
puter games are suitable only for adults due to 
graphic depictions of sex or violence. 
(5) In December 2001, a study by the Federal 
Trade Commission showed that retailers allowed 78 
percent of unaccompanied minors, ages 13 to 16, to 
purchase games rated as ‘‘Mature’’ by the Enter-
tainment Software Rating Board. 
(6) The sale of video games and computer 
games substantially affects interstate commerce be-
cause they are sold in interstate commerce on a na-
tionwide basis. 
(7) The Nation has a compelling interest in 
preventing minors from purchasing video and com-
puter games that are only suitable for adults due to 
graphic depictions of sex or violence. 
(8) There is a need to enact narrowly tailored 
legislation to restrict the sale and use of video games 
that contain sexual or violent content that is in-
tended for adults only, and that such legislation not 
restrict adults’ access to these games. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON SALE OR RENTAL OF ADULT 
VIDEO GAMES TO MINORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part 1 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
chapter: 
‘‘CHAPTER 124—PROHIBITION ON SALE OR 
RENTAL OF ADULT VIDEO GAMES TO 
MINORS 
‘‘§ 2731. Definitions 
‘‘As used in this chapter, the following definitions 
apply: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘graphic violence’ means the vis-
ual depiction of serious injury to human beings, ac-
tual or virtual, including aggravated assault, decapi-
tation, dismemberment, or death. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘content harmful to minors’ 
means video game content that predominantly ap-
peals to minors’ morbid interest in violence or mi-
nors’ prurient interest in sex, is patently offensive to 
prevailing standards in the adult community as a 
whole with respect to what is suitable material for 
minors, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, 
or scientific value for minors, and contains—
‘‘(A) graphic violence; 
‘‘(B) sexual violence; or 
‘‘(C) strong sexual content. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘minor’ means a person age 17 
and younger. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘nudity’ means the visual depic-
tion, actual or virtual, of the human male or female 
genitals, pubic area or buttocks with less than a 
fully opaque covering, of a female breast with less 
than a fully opaque covering of any part of the nip-
ple or of any portion of the breast below the nipple, 
or the depiction of covered male genitals in a dis-
cernibly turgid state. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘sexual conduct’ means acts, ac-
tual or virtual, of masturbation, sexual intercourse,
‘‘(b) SECOND VIOLATION.—Whoever knowingly vio-
lates section 2732, having previously been fined under 
subsection (a), shall be fined not less than $1,000 and 
not more than $5,000. 
‘‘(c) SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS.—Whoever knowingly 
violates section 2732, having previously been fined under 
subsection (b), shall be fined not less than $5,000.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 
at the beginning of part I of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
‘‘124. Prohibition on sale or rental of adult video games 
to minors ................................................................... 2731’’.
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