[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1374 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1374

   Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that parents 
 should be provided clear, accurate, and useful information about the 
 content of video programming so they can make informed decisions for 
                            their children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2026

 Ms. Hageman (for herself, Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina, Mr. Rose, and 
  Mr. Moore of Alabama) submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that parents 
 should be provided clear, accurate, and useful information about the 
 content of video programming so they can make informed decisions for 
                            their children.

Whereas Congress has long recognized that parents should have timely and 
        meaningful information about video programming that may be unsuitable 
        for children and that ratings and parental-control tools should help 
        families make informed viewing choices;
Whereas the current television ratings framework was developed for a broadcast-
        era marketplace and is now being used across a fragmented video 
        marketplace that includes broadcast, cable, streaming, and on-demand 
        services;
Whereas some networks and producers have used programming for children to 
        advance social messaging related to gender identity, including non-
        binary and transgender themes;
Whereas parents need ratings and content descriptions that are clear, 
        consistent, and sufficiently specific to distinguish among different 
        kinds of material and to inform household decisions in a streaming-first 
        world;
Whereas content descriptions should be neutral, objective, and designed to 
        inform parents rather than a substitute for parental judgment;
Whereas the body responsible for overseeing the ratings system should reflect 
        not only industry participation but also meaningful representation of 
        parents, child advocates, and other public interest stakeholders;
Whereas greater transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the 
        ratings process would better serve families and strengthen the 
        effectiveness of parental guidance tools; and
Whereas the Federal Communications Commission has an important role in advancing 
        policies that empower parents and promote clear consumer information in 
        the video marketplace: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on the Federal Communications Commission to 
        encourage the development of a modernized ratings framework 
        that provides parents with clear, accurate, and useful 
        information across broadcast, cable, streaming, and on-demand 
        video programming;
            (2) urges that such a framework include content 
        descriptions that are neutral, objective, and sufficiently 
        specific to help parents distinguish among material that may be 
        relevant to the values and choices of their families;
            (3) calls on the Federal Communications Commission to 
        promote greater transparency and accountability in the 
        administration of the ratings system so that parents can better 
        understand how ratings are assigned, reviewed, and challenged;
            (4) urges that any oversight body responsible for the 
        ratings system include meaningful representation from parents, 
        child advocacy organizations, and other public interest 
        stakeholders, in addition to industry representatives;
            (5) encourages the Federal Communications Commission to 
        support public awareness of parental guidance tools, including 
        rating-based controls, so that families can make practical use 
        of the information provided; and
            (6) recognizes that, to the extent additional statutory 
        authority may be necessary to advance these goals, Congress 
        should consider appropriate legislative action.
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