Legislators in agreement, NY game bill pending until July

The new legislation regarding game retail restrictions to minors by bill sponsor Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D) of Brooklyn, New York has recently been proven constitutional, after the Senate was able to convince the Assembly Democrats that the bill would stand up against similar scrutiny, unlike other failed game bills.

However, as they did come to agreement on A08696, time ran out before the legislation could be passed on both houses, and the legislators anticipate its signing into law once the two houses assemble again this July. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (D) will sign the bill, effecting it into law.

Once it becomes a law, any retailer selling a violent game as classified under the law’s stipulations to a minor will be committing a class E felony. All console manufacturers will also be required to keep parental-control mechanisms in current and future iterations of game machines and retailers will have to clearly label any and all games violent and obscene in nature as inappropriate to minors.

Assemblyman Lentol said in conclusion, “We were all always on the same page in protecting children. We just had to come up with ways to compromise.”

The new legislation regarding game retail restrictions to minors by bill sponsor Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D) of Brooklyn, New York has recently been proven constitutional, after the Senate was able to convince the Assembly Democrats that the bill would stand up against similar scrutiny, unlike other failed game bills.

However, as they did come to agreement on A08696, time ran out before the legislation could be passed on both houses, and the legislators anticipate its signing into law once the two houses assemble again this July. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (D) will sign the bill, effecting it into law.

Once it becomes a law, any retailer selling a violent game as classified under the law’s stipulations to a minor will be committing a class E felony. All console manufacturers will also be required to keep parental-control mechanisms in current and future iterations of game machines and retailers will have to clearly label any and all games violent and obscene in nature as inappropriate to minors.

Assemblyman Lentol said in conclusion, “We were all always on the same page in protecting children. We just had to come up with ways to compromise.”