Senate Commerce Committee to vote on media violence bill

The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to vote next week on Chairman Jay Rockefeller's (D-WV) bill to study the impact of violent video games and other media on children.

Chairman Rockefeller first introduced the bill last year after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown (CT). The bill would require the National Academy of Sciences to examine whether violent video games and programming cause children to act aggressively or otherwise hurt their well-being. The academy would look at whether the interactive nature and vivid way violence is portrayed in video games has a unique impact on children. Chairman Rockefeller has said the bill could lay the groundwork for future regulation.