Two US Congressmen Monday once again proposed a bill that would require the vast majority of video games to bear a warning label about content they consider "potentially damaging."

Under the one-page Violence in Video Games Labeling Act [PDF link], packaging for all video games except those rated "EC" for Early Childhood would be required to prominently display a message reading "WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior." The proposed label would be required even if the video game in question is not violent.

"The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families and to consumers—to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products," bill sponsor Representative Joe Baca (D-CA) said, as reported by The Hill. "They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility."

"Just as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents—and children—about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior," co-sponsor Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) said. "As a parent and grandparent, I think it is important people know everything they can about the extremely violent nature of some of these games."

Previous bills

This is not the first time that Baca and Wolf have proposed legislation requiring warning labels for video games. The first such bill was introduced in 2009, and would have required a label that said, "WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior" (italics added to highlight differences from current bill). That bill also asked for warning labels only for games rated T (Teen) or higher—the current bill lowers that threshold to games rated E for Everyone or higher.

The same bill was re-introduced in January 2011 before going on to die a quiet death in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Much of the concern over the link between video games and violence can be traced back to a statement released by the American Psychological Association in 2000, which warned parents about excessive exposure to violent games. However, the APA has since retracted that statement, and published a thorough study of video game violence research in its Review of General Psychology. That study found that, while playing violent games can lead to an immediate increase in aggression, such increases are mostly limited to children with prior mental health problems.

"Violent video games are like peanut butter," said Texas A&M University's Christopher J. Ferguson told Reuters when that study was published. "They are harmless for the vast majority of kids but are harmful to a small minority with pre-existing personality or mental health problems."