Violent games bill dies without a vote

A bill that called on Congress to demand a study of the effects of violent video games on children died when the 112th session of Congress disbanded on January 2nd.

The bill was introduced by Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia on December 17th – three days after the Sandy Hook school shootings.

According to US law, a bill must be voted on by the same session of Congress to which it was introduced.

A staffer at the Senator’s office told Polygon that Rockefeller plans to reintroduce the bill, possibly within the month.

If passed, the measure would call for a study by the National Academy of Sciences on the effects of violent video games and video programming on children.

The study would have to begin within thirty days of the passing of the bill, and would be due for a report to Congress, the FTC and the FCC within 18 months.

"At times like this, we need to take a comprehensive look at all the ways we can keep our kids safe," Sen. Rockefeller, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said when first revealing the measure.

"I have long expressed concern about the impact of the violent content our kids see and interact with every day."

This bill would be the eigth such study since the 1999 Columbine High School shootings.

None of these studies found a link between exposure to violent media and violent acts.

In related news, Vice President Joe Biden will meet with representatives from the NRA and the game and entertainment industries to discuss possible solutions to the Nation’s gun violence.

In response, several industry bodies wrote open letters to the Vice President urging him not to blame games for the events in Connecticut.