New York A 4874: Prohibits the sale of mature and violent video games to minors

Bill Text

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A04874 Summary:

BILL NOA04874 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S06828

&nbsp

SPONSORDilan

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §391-x, Gen Bus L

&nbsp

Prohibits the sale to minors of any video game that has a mature or violent rating.

Go to top A04874 Actions:

BILL NOA04874 

&nbsp

02/06/2025referred to consumer affairs and protection

01/07/2026referred to consumer affairs and protection

Go to topA04874 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA04874 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA04874 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4874

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 6, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. DILAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Consumer Affairs and Protection

 AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting
 sale of certain video games to minors

 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
 2 391-x to read as follows:
 3 § 391-x. Sale of certain video games to minors prohibited. 1. No
 4 person, partnership or corporation shall sell or rent or offer to sell
 5 or rent to any person under the age of eighteen years any video game
 6 that has a mature or violent rating. Such video games may contain, but
 7 shall not be limited to, depictions descriptive of, advocating or
 8 glamorizing commission of a violent crime, suicide, sodomy, rape,
 9 incest, bestiality, sadomasochism, any form of sexual activity in a
 10 violent context, or advocating or encouraging murder, violent racism,
 11 religious violence, morbid violence or the illegal use of drugs or alco-
 12 hol.
 13 2. Every person, partnership or corporation engaged in the retail sale
 14 or rental of video games shall store and display such video games
 15 containing contents listed in subdivision one of this section in a
 16 location designated for persons over the age of eighteen, in a manner
 17 which restricts access to such video games.
 18 3. Sale or rental of any video game that contains any contents listed
 19 in subdivision one of this section, shall be made only to an individual
 20 who demonstrates, through (a) a valid driver's license or non-driver's
 21 identification and issued by the commissioner of motor vehicles, the
 22 federal government, any United States territory, commonwealth or
 23 possession, the District of Columbia, a state government within the
 24 United States or a provincial government of the dominion of Canada; or
 25 (b) a valid passport issued by the United States government or any other

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06765-01-5

 A. 4874 2

 1 country; or (c) an identification card issued by the United States,
 2 indicating that the individual is at least eighteen years of age. Such
 3 identification need not be required of any individual who reasonably
 4 appears to be at least thirty years of age, provided, however, that such
 5 appearance shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding involving
 6 sale or rental of any video game, to an individual under eighteen years
 7 of age.
 8 4. In any proceeding pursuant to this section, it shall be an affirma-
 9 tive defense that a person purchasing or renting or attempting to
 10 purchase or rent any video game described in subdivision one of this
 11 section produced a driver's license or a non-driver identification card
 12 apparently issued by a government entity or other identification pursu-
 13 ant to subdivision three of this section, successfully completed the
 14 transaction, and that the video game sold or rented to such person was
 15 reasonable reliance upon such identification and transaction. In evalu-
 16 ating the applicability of such affirmative defense, consideration shall
 17 be given to any written policy adopted and implemented by the seller to
 18 effectuate the provisions of this section. Use of any method of an elec-
 19 tronic transaction scan shall not excuse any person operating a place of
 20 business wherein video games are sold or rented, or the agent or employ-
 21 ee of such person, from the ex