The recent mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida claimed the lives of 17 individuals. In the wake of the tragic event, discussions concerning mental health and gun control began to rise once more. As the country continues to search for answers, many have begun to shift the blame towards video games, with even the United States’ President voicing concerns. Representative of Rhode Island, Robert Nardolillo, has gone one step further by proposing a video game tax on violent titles.

For years video games have been blamed for countless acts which the masses can’t even begin to comprehend. The Governor of Kentucky recently laid active blame on video games for the recent shooting, and now Nardolillo, sharing a similar notion, is introducing a new legislation that will require games with an ESRB rating of “Mature” or higher to have a raised tax rate. Shooters such as Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Red Dead, PUBG, and more would all fall under this new legislation, in addition to horror titles and other miscellaneous game types. Nardolillo has stated the tax would be used for “counseling, mental health programs and other conflict resolution activities.”

The full proposal was posted to Facebook, which can also be seen below:

The proposal also states that the goal for the tax would be to keep schools safe, providing a “calm place for students to learn” which ultimately should be the goal for everyone. There continues to be substantial division in the wake of the recent bold statements being made. Game developers and players alike continue to be vocal about their thoughts on being held accountable for tragedies that occur. With various conflicting studies on the subjects of video games and their correlation to violent behavior, the industry continues to be a focal point for blame.

There are motions in place to prevent retailers from selling Mature titles to those under 17 without a parent or guardian present, however that appears to be a stepping stone for future policy changes. For now, all we can do is wait to see if the proposal passes and figure out what the next step should be. Let us know your thoughts on the proposed video game tax and more in the comments section below. As always, don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.

To read more on a recent study pertaining to video games and correlations to violence, you can check out more on the subject here.