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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB),
3established in 1994, is a self-regulatory organization that
4independently rates interactive entertainment software,
5including video and computer games; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The ESRB rating system provides age-based ratings
7and content descriptors for computer and video games, and
8through an advertising code requires the display of these
9ratings on all game packaging and marketing materials; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The ESRB works to promote the rating system and
11educate consumers about the use of the rating system, including
12distributing ESRB educational material and airing and
13publishing public service announcements in local and national
14media, including a PSA with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Major retailers in the United States have embraced
16the ESRB rating system and have committed themselves to not
17sell Mature-rated video games to persons under 17 years of age;
18the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently reported that
19national retailers successfully enforce this policy 87% of the
20time; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The ESRB's successful self-regulatory program has

 

 

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1earned the praise of the FTC, which found it to be the most
2comprehensive rating system for any entertainment medium in the
3country and recognized its importance for helping parents make
4informed choices about the games their children play; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Not all online interactive entertainment games
6have been rated by the ESRB and therefore parents must be
7vigilant about what online games their children are playing;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, the Coalition of Entertainment Retail Trade
10Associations (CERTA) each year declares June to be
11Entertainment Ratings and Labeling Awareness Month, and, with
12the start of summer vacation for students, parents need to be
13vigilant about what their children are watching, playing, and
14listening to as well as the websites they are visiting;
15therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we urge parents and caregivers to check the ESRB ratings when
19selecting computer and video games for children; and be it
20further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we strongly encourage interactive
22entertainment software creators to submit their video,

 

 

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1computer, and online games to be rated by the ESRB; and be it
2further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we urge all interactive entertainment
4software creators, including video and computer game creators,
5to refrain from creating games based on real-life tragedies and
6violence against children.