Violent Video Game Research Bill Returns with New Congress

Jay Rockefeller, the United States senator from West Virginia, says that he plans to re-introduce the violent video games research bill that he initiated after the fatal Sandy Hook shooting.

Initially, the proposed legislation died after the session of Congress was declared closed in early January, but now that new representatives are seated, the bill will be re-introduced to the floor.

The Rockefeller legislation will task the National Academy of Sciences to study the effects of violence in media, including video games, working alongside the Federal Communication Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.

The results should be delivered in 18 months and the Congress and the Senate would use them in order to craft new legislation.

Industry bodies have opposed the law because they fear it will be used as a backdoor to introduce legislation that restricts sales and affects the long-term prospects of the market.