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HR 5045 106th Congress House

Parents' Empowerment Act

Official title: To provide a civil action for a minor injured by exposure to an entertainment product containing material that is harmful to minors, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 27, 2000 See on congress.gov
Families Arts, Culture, ReligionBooksChild welfareCivil actions and liability
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Crime and Law EnforcementDamagesGovernment Operations and PoliticsLawLegal feesMotion picturesParentsPeriodicalsPhotographyPornographyPunitive damagesSound recording and reproducing
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This bill died when the 106th Congress ended
It never became law before the 106th Congress (1999–2000) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 25, 2000
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.
Jul 27, 2000
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Jul 27, 2000
Introduced in House
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 Latest action September 25, 2000

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Parents' Empowerment Act - Authorizes a minor, through a person acting on the minor's behalf, to obtain relief in a civil action in U.S. district court against anyone who knowingly sells or distributes in interstate or foreign commerce an entertainment product containing material that is harmful to minors if: (1) a reasonable person would expect a substantial number of minors to be exposed to the material; and (2) the minor, as a result of exposure to that material, is likely to suffer personal or emotional injury or injury to mental or moral welfare. Declares it to be an affirmative defense to such action that an act of a parent or guardian who owned the entertainment product was the proximate cause of the minor's exposure to the harmful material.
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 4
All 4 Republican 1
Burr, Richard
· Sep 7, 2000
 R
Aderholt, Robert B.
Alabama · Jul 27, 2000
BALLENGER, CASS
· Jul 27, 2000
DeMint, James
· Jul 27, 2000
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5045: Parents' Empowerment Act. 106th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5045/
MLA
"H.R. 5045: Parents' Empowerment Act." 106th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5045/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5045, 106th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5045/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5045: Parents' Empowerment Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/106-HR-5045/)
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