Bill > S02269

This bill requires motion picture theaters that offer more than ten movie showings per week to provide open motion picture captioning (on-screen text displaying dialogue, character names, music, and sound effects) for at least one-quarter of the showings of any movie with four or more screenings in a week. The bill defines specific requirements for these captioned showings, including that at least half must occur during "peak attendance hours" (Friday evening through Sunday, and certain evening hours on weekdays), and no more than four captioned showings of a single movie are required per week. Theaters must advertise these captioned showings in the same manner as other screenings and clearly indicate which showings include captions. Theaters must also maintain documentation of their compliance for three years. Violations will result in civil penalties, with the first violation carrying a fine of up to $100 and subsequent violations up to $500. The law does not apply to municipalities that already have equal or more stringent open captioning requirements, and theaters are not prevented from offering more captioned showings than the minimum requirement. The bill will take effect 120 days after becoming law, aiming to improve movie accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments.

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https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2269