Bill > SB0764

This bill, titled the "open caption accessibility act," mandates that movie theaters with eight or more screens must provide open movie captioning, which is a visible transcript of a film's audio that cannot be turned off by the viewer, for at least two screenings per week of any film shown five or more times from Friday to Thursday, provided the film is produced with this feature available. Initially, this requirement applies for the first three weeks of a film's run, or for the entire duration if it's shown for less than three weeks. After this initial period, theaters must still offer open-captioned screenings at least once a week on a weekday evening or weekend, and also upon request from an individual, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill also specifies that willful cancellation of a scheduled open-captioned screening is a violation, though unavoidable cancellations like equipment failure are exempt. The Attorney General's department is responsible for enforcing the act, including investigating complaints and referring disability-related discrimination cases to the Department of Civil Rights, and theaters must advertise these special screenings and post notices about how to request them.

Government Affairs

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0764