Washington D.C.- The United States Senate voted unanimously to approve two amendments sponsored by Sen. Orrin
Hatch aimed at curbing the exposure of our youth to violence and unsuitable material. The amendments are now part of a
comprehensive juvenile crime bill currently being debated in the U.S. Senate.
Today, the Senate approved 100-0 Sen. Hatch's amendment aimed at limiting the negative impact violence and indecent
material on the Internet have on children. Specifically, this amendment encourages Internet service providers (ISP) to provide,
either for free or at a nominal fee, filtering technologies that would empower parents to limit or block access of minors to
unsuitable material on the Internet. Hatch sponsored the amendment along with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
"We can't place all the blame for today's culture of violence on the Internet," Hatch said.
"But we also can't ignore the fact that this powerful new medium has the ability to expose children to violent, sexually explicit
and other inappropriate materials with no limits. Indeed, a recent Time/CNN poll found that 75 percent of teens aged 13 to 17
believe the Internet is partly responsible for crimes like the Columbine High School shooting."
"This amendment respects the First Amendment of the Constitution by not regulating content, but ensures that parents will have
the adequate technological tools to control the access of their children to unsuitable material on the Internet."
Many Internet subscribers already have such tools provided to them free of charge. For example, the largest Internet service
provider, currently provides its 17 million subscribers with such filtering technology as a standard service.
"I honestly believe that other ISPs who do not already provide filtering software to their subscribers will do so voluntarily,"
Hatch noted. "They will know it is in their best interests and that the market will demand it."
In legislative action on Wednesday, the Senate gave its approval, 98-0, to an amendment sponsored by Sen. Hatch and Sen.
Sam Brownback (R-KS) directing the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to examine the extent to
which the motion pictures, recording, and video games industries target the marketing of violent, sexually explicit or other
harmful and unsuitable material to minors. This inquiry would also examine whether such content is advertised or promoted in
media outlets in which minors comprise a substantial percentage of the audience.
"Given that there is evidence that extremely violent or otherwise unsuitable material in movies, music, and video games have
negative effects on children, many are concerned about how these products are marketed and sold," Hatch noted. "Do these
industries specifically target products that according to their own guidelines are unsuitable for minors to these same minors? I
think the American people deserve an answer to this question."
The bill the Senate is debating is S. 254, the Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Act of
1999, which is sponsored by Sen. Hatch, Sen. Jeff Session (R-AL) and Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE).
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