Washington, DC – Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) praised his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives today for focusing their attention on the problems with the video game rating system.

Baca has been a leader of efforts to help parents protect their children from intense violence and graphic sexual content commonly found in video games, working for several years to implement a more accurate ratings system.

The House today called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the publication of the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" to determine if the publisher intentionally deceived the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to avoid an "Adults-Only" rating. This action follows the recent admission by the best-selling game’s manufacturer that it had hidden graphic sexual content within the game. The ESRB, the industry’s self-regulating panel, was deceived and gave the game a “Mature” rating, making it widely available to teens. Upon learning about the added material and amidst a resulting furor from parents and advocacy groups, ESRB changed the rating to “Adults Only”, prompting leading retailers including Target, Best Buy, Circuit City and Wal-Mart to stop selling the game.

Congressman Baca said, “I am pleased that so many Members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, share my concerns about violent and explicit content in video games. I hope that their increased recognition of the problem will encourage them to also support my legislation calling for an investigation of the entire ratings system not just the controversy over a single game.”

Baca introduced the Software Accuracy and Fraud Evaluation Rating Act, known as the SAFE Rating Act (H.R. 1145) in March 2005, which would require an FTC investigation of the entire ESRB ratings system to determine if it is accurately and appropriately evaluating the content of games and whether parents are being deceived by the ratings.

In addition to his legislation, Baca has recently met with FTC Chair Deborah Majoras and followed up with letters urging her to take action. Last week Congressman Baca and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) wrote to Majoras, specifically citing Grand Theft Auto – San Andreas while also raising more general concerns about video game ratings.

Baca today called the decision to rate Grand Theft Auto – San Andreas as Adults Only “a small victory for those of us who have been calling on the video game industry to clean up its act.” He added, “This action was long overdue and only occurred because we have been putting pressure on the industry to do the right thing.”

Baca emphasized though that he is determined to continue working to change the ratings process. “Although this one game has now been changed to an Adults Only rating, the problems we have seen are proof that the ratings system is not working properly. Currently, the industry’s self-regulation is a case of the fox guarding the hen house – and American children are at risk because of this.”

He expressed optimism that recent events including the House vote, extensive media coverage of the issue and the continued involvement of parents and advocacy groups will give the SAFE Rating Act additional momentum.