Bill Text: NY A00464 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that persons who sell or rent video games shall display a warning sign with respect to the relationship between playing video games and epileptic seizures; establishes penalties for a violation of such provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to consumer affairs and protection [A00464 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A00464-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          464
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
         Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
       AN ACT to amend the general  business  law,  in  relation  to  requiring
         epilepsy warnings on video games
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
    2  399-ff to read as follows:
    3    S 399-FF. VIDEO GAME;  EPILEPSY  WARNING.  1.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
    4  SECTION,  THE  TERM  "VIDEO  GAME" SHALL MEAN AND INCLUDE ANY VIDEO GAME
    5  SYSTEM, VIDEO GAME  CARTRIDGE,  VIDEO  GAME  COMPACT  DISC,  VIDEO  GAME
    6  DIGITAL  VERSATILE  DISC  OR  DIGITAL  VIDEO DISC, VIDEO GAME COMPONENT,
    7  VIDEO GAME ACCESSORY, OR VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER OF ANY VARIETY.
    8    2. ANY PERSON WHO SELLS, OFFERS FOR SALE,  RENTS  OR  OFFERS  TO  RENT
    9  VIDEO  GAMES TO THE PUBLIC SHALL DISPLAY A SIGN OR POSTER IN A PROMINENT
   10  OR CONSPICUOUS LOCATION WITHIN THE AREA WHERE SUCH VIDEO GAMES ARE  SOLD
   11  OR  RENTED  WHICH  HAS PRINTED THEREON AN EPILEPSY WARNING. SUCH WARNING
   12  SHALL BE IN LETTERS OF NOT LESS THAN THIRTY POINT TYPE AND SHALL CONTAIN
   13  THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
   14                              "EPILEPSY WARNING
   15                   READ BEFORE USING YOUR VIDEO GAME SYSTEM
   16    MEDICAL RESEARCH INDICATES A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF  THE  POPULATION  MAY
   17  EXPERIENCE  EPILEPTIC  SEIZURES OR SEIZURE-LIKE SYMPTOMS WHEN EXPOSED TO
   18  CERTAIN STIMULI, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LIGHT PATTERNS, FLASHING
   19  LIGHTS OR CERTAIN PATTERNS OF BACKGROUNDS  ON  A  TELEVISION  SCREEN  OR
   20  VIDEO  MONITOR.  EXPOSURE TO THESE STIMULI WHILE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES MAY
   21  INDUCE AN EPILEPTIC SEIZURE OR SEIZURE-LIKE SYMPTOMS IN  THESE  INDIVID-
   22  UALS.   CERTAIN CONDITIONS MAY INDUCE UNDETECTED EPILEPTIC SYMPTOMS EVEN
   23  IN PERSONS WHO HAVE NO PRIOR HISTORY OF SEIZURES OR EPILEPSY.    IF  YOU
   24  EXPERIENCE  ANY  OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS WHILE PLAYING A VIDEO GAME --
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05381-01-3
       A. 464                              2
    1  DIZZINESS, ALTERED VISION, EYE OR MUSCLE TWITCHES,  LOSS  OF  AWARENESS,
    2  DISORIENTATION,  AND  INVOLUNTARY MOVEMENT OR CONVULSIONS -- IMMEDIATELY
    3  DISCONTINUE USE AND CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE PLAY."
    4    3.  ANY  PERSON  WHO  SELLS OR RENTS A VIDEO GAME IN VIOLATION OF THIS
    5  SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A CIVIL PENALTY OF FIFTY  DOLLARS  FOR  EACH
    6  OCCURRENCE.
    7    S  2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
    8  law.