Illinois 'Safe Games Bill' Becomes Law
- July 26, 2005 15:47 PM PST
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Senate approves Illinois Governor's proposal to restrict mature game sales to minors.
It has officially hit the fan. A press release today confirmed that Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich signed HB 4023 into law, a bill that will fine retailers for selling and/or renting Mature (17+) rated games to minors in the state of Illinois. Dubbed the "Safe Games Illinois Act," this is the first approved law that would purportedly restrict the sale and/or rental of violent and sexually explicit games to children.The bill passed the Senate by a margin of 52-5-1. Last month, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 91-19 in favor of the bill.
Under HB 4023, any retailer caught breaching the law (which will take effect on January 1, 2006) will be charged with a petty offense and is subject to a $1000 fine. The bill also requires retailers to affix an "explicit content" label, similar to the "Parental Advisory" label found on music CDs, and to post clearly visible signs explaining the video game rating system. Failure to properly label games and place signs is punishable by a $500 fine for the first three violations and a $1000 fine for each successive violation.
According to State Representative and strong supporter of HB 4023 Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora,), "These games are graphic, offensive, and intended for adults, not children. We are now the only state in the nation to protect our children from these games, and I am grateful to the governor and my colleagues in the General Assembly for showing leadership on this issue."
The computer and video game industry is filing a lawsuit today in an attempt to prevent HB 4023 from going into effect. "This law will have a chilling effect on free speech," said Electronic Software Association (ESA) president Doug Lowenstein in a press release responding to the approval of the bill. "It will limit First Amendment rights not only for Illinois' residents, but for game developers and publishers, and for retailers who won't know what games can and cannot be sold or rented under this vague new statute."
The video game industry as a whole is confident that the bill will be deemed unconstitutional. The ESA described the bill as "bad public policy because it will substitute the government's judgment for parental supervision and turn retailers into surrogate parents in a misguided effort to help Illinois parents."
Lowenstein believes that if the bill is not shot down, "A year from now, parents will be no better off, and the state will have wasted taxpayers' dollars, time, and energy all for headlines."
