554 - Advisory council on interactive media and youth violence.

§  554.  Advisory  council on interactive media and youth violence. 1.  There  is  hereby  created  under  the  board  an  advisory  council  on  interactive   media  and  youth  violence  to  make  recommendations  on  interactive  media  and  youth  violence  related  issues;  address  the  potential  impact of interactive media and similar entertainment devices  on minors with particular attention focused on any relationship  between  the  use  of  such  devices  and  violent tendencies and related issues;  review the Entertainment  Software  Rating  Board's  video  game  rating  system  and make recommendations thereon as to the effectiveness of such  system in rating  video  games  and  the  accuracy  of  such  system  in  identifying  violent  or  sexual  content,  including but not limited to  racially-  and  gender-motivated  violence  and  violence  against   law  enforcement;  and  study  the potential of establishing a parent-teacher  violence awareness program to identify and appropriately assist students  who may have a propensity toward violence. The  advisory  council  shall  assist  in  the  development  of appropriate policies and priorities for  effective intervention, public  education  and  advocacy  against  youth  violence,  including  but  not limited to racially- and gender-motivated  violence and violence against law enforcement,  and  to  facilitate  and  assure  communication  and  coordination of efforts among state agencies  and  between  different  levels  of  government,  state,  federal,   and  municipal, for the prevention of youth violence.    2.  The advisory council shall consist of sixteen members. Each member  shall be appointed by the governor to serve a term of  three  years  and  shall  continue  in  office  until  a  successor  is appointed. A member  appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term of  the  member  he  or  she  is  to  succeed.  The  members  shall  include  individuals  with  expertise  in  the  area  of  the youth violence, one  representative from  the  video  game  manufacturing  industry  and  one  representative   from   a  trade  association  representing  video  game  retailers. Four members shall be appointed by the governor. Two  members  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governor  upon  the recommendation of the  temporary president of the senate, two members shall be appointed by the  governor upon the recommendation of the speaker  of  the  assembly,  one  member shall be appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the  minority  leader  of  the  senate,  one member shall be appointed by the  governor upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the assembly,  and the governor shall appoint one member each upon  the  recommendation  of  the  executive  director of the board, commissioner of the education  department, commissioner of the office of mental health, commissioner of  the office of children and family services, commissioner of the division  of criminal justice services, and the chair of the council on the  arts.  The chair of the advisory council shall be designated by the governor.    3.  The advisory council shall submit a written report to the governor  and legislature on or before December thirty-first,  two  thousand  nine  and   annually   thereafter,   setting  forth  the  recommendations  and  activities of the advisory council on matters within the  scope  of  its  powers  and  duties  as  set  forth  in this section, and describing the  progress  made  regarding  policies   and   priorities   for   effective  intervention, public education and advocacy against youth violence.    4. The advisory council shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the  chair but in no event less than two times per year.    5.  The  members  of  the  advisory council shall receive no salary or  other  compensation  for  their  services  but  shall  be  entitled   to  reimbursement   for  actual  and  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  the  performance  of  their  duties  within   amounts   made   available   by  appropriation  therefor  subject  to the approval of the director of the  budget.