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
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
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.