Game bill unnecessary

Recently, the Deseret News reported on HB353, introduced by Rep. Michael Morley of Spanish Fork. This bill, in a nutshell, creates penalties for retailers who advertise that they do not sell adult-rated video games to minors but then do sell a game to a minor for whatever reason. According to the ESRB — the Entertainment Software Rating Board, the organization that administrates the video-game rating system — a recent audit showed that Utah retailers do not sell video games to minors an impressive 94 percent of the time, purely through voluntary action by retailers. This bill is apparently meant to address the remaining, negligible, 6 percent. It threatens only the retailers trying to protect children. If a retailer willfully sells adult titles to children, it does not apply.

The intended purpose of HB353 may be noble, but it is unnecessary, at best, and the unintended consequences could be disastrous.

Joe Naylor

Bountiful