NYC Council Introduction 2020

intro.nyc/2020-2020 2018-2021 Legislative Session Enacted
Open captioning at motion picture theatres.
Sponsored by Helen K. Rosenthal
Introduced: July 28, 2020

This bill would require that movie theaters showing over 10 movies a week provide open captions for at least one quarter of all showings when a movie is shown four or more times. However, theaters more than four open caption showings of a single movie in one week would not be required. At least half of the open captioned showings would be during peak attendance hours. Peak attendance showings start after 5:59 and end before 11:01 on Friday and begin after 11:29 am and end before 11:01 pm on Saturday and Sunday. If fewer than one in eight showings is scheduled for peak attendance hours or similar times on other weekdays, the screening during those hours must be open captioned. Open caption showings that play at the same time do not count towards this minimum and a theater may show more open captioned movies than required. A theater must advertise open caption showings the same way they do other showings and must maintain documents to show compliance with these requirements for at least three years. A theater violating this law is subject to penalties. Films that are produced and distributed without open captioning are exempt from this requirement.

Approved by Committee December 14, 2021

Committee on Civil and Human Rights Votes 3:1:0
Mathieu Eugene (Affirmative)
Inez D. Barron (Affirmative)
Daniel Dromm (Abstain)
Brad S. Lander (Affirmative)
Bill Perkins (Absent)

Approved by Council December 15, 2021

Votes 40:1:7
Corey D. Johnson (Affirmative)
Adrienne E. Adams (Affirmative)
Alicka Ampry-Samuel (Affirmative)
Diana I. Ayala (Affirmative)
Inez D. Barron (Affirmative)
Joseph C. Borelli (Negative)
Justin L. Brannan (Affirmative)
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers (Affirmative)
Tiffany Cabán (Affirmative)
Fernando Cabrera (Affirmative)
David M. Carr (Negative)
Margaret S. Chin (Affirmative)
Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (Affirmative)
Laurie A. Cumbo (Affirmative)
Ruben Diaz, Sr. (Absent)
Darma V. Diaz (Affirmative)
Eric Dinowitz (Affirmative)
Daniel Dromm (Affirmative)
Mathieu Eugene (Affirmative)
Oswald Feliz (Affirmative)
James F. Gennaro (Negative)
Vanessa L. Gibson (Affirmative)
Mark Gjonaj (Affirmative)
Barry S. Grodenchik (Abstain)
Robert F. Holden (Negative)
Ben Kallos (Affirmative)
Peter A. Koo (Affirmative)
Karen Koslowitz (Affirmative)
Brad S. Lander (Affirmative)
Stephen T. Levin (Affirmative)
Mark Levine (Affirmative)
Farah N. Louis (Affirmative)
Alan N. Maisel (Affirmative)
Carlos Menchaca (Affirmative)
I. Daneek Miller (Affirmative)
Francisco P. Moya (Affirmative)
Bill Perkins (Absent)
Keith Powers (Affirmative)
Antonio Reynoso (Non-voting)
Kevin C. Riley (Affirmative)
Carlina Rivera (Affirmative)
Ydanis A. Rodriguez (Affirmative)
Deborah L. Rose (Affirmative)
Helen K. Rosenthal (Affirmative)
Rafael Salamanca, Jr. (Affirmative)
Mark Treyger (Affirmative)
Eric A. Ulrich (Affirmative)
Paul A. Vallone (Negative)
James G. Van Bramer (Affirmative)
Inna Vernikov (Negative)
Kalman Yeger (Negative)

Sponsors: 15