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Maryland and Utah Receive Proposed Video Game Laws

Maryland and Utah Receive Proposed Video Game Laws

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It seems not a day can go by without reports of another state contemplating video game legislation.

Members of the General Assembly in Maryland have proposed two bills that will be read before the Maryland House Judiciary Committe next week. The first bill, HB 54, was proposed by Wade Kach, a Republican Delegate, would block the sale or rental of games rated Adults Only (AO) to minors. Penalties would include up to one year in jail or a $5,000 fine.

Democrat Justin Ross has proposed HB 75 that Game Politics describes as a “California redux”.

And on the other side of the country, the Deseret Morning News is reporting that Jim Matheson, a Democrate Representative, is proposing legislation to Congress that would make the sale of M or AO rated games to minors a federal offense. The proposed legislation would also require video games to have the rating prominently displayed on the box.

“The industry already has its own rating system. I’m just going to say you have to ID (the buyer) for any ‘mature’ or ‘adult only’ rated games,” Matheson has commented.

“You know darn well the 13 year-old is not being carded when he buys ‘Grand Theft Auto 2′. You get points (in the game) for having sex with a prostitute; you get points for killing the prostitute,” he continued.

Matheson believes that his bill will avoid the fate of other similar bills because he will “stay away from that unconstitutional aspect.”  His bill bases the law on ESRB ratings rather than any government restriction on free speech.

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