Summary — HB 677: Open Movie Captioning in Movie Theaters
Status / Timeline
- Introduced: Nov 12, 2024 (filed)
- Passed 1st Reading: Apr 3, 2025 (per bill metadata)
- Legislative history included in the provided record indicates the bill advanced through committees, was enacted by the legislature, and was signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025; the bill’s text states a fall 2025 effective date for showings on or after that date (see “Applicability” below).
Purpose
- Require movie theaters to provide “open captioning” (on‑screen captions visible to the entire audience) for a minimum number of public screenings so that individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or otherwise benefit from captions have meaningful access to theatrical showings.
Key definitions (selected)
- Open captioning: written on‑screen display of dialogue and non‑speech information (music, speaker identity, sound effects).
- Operating week: Friday through the following Thursday.
- Peak attendance hours: Friday 5:59 PM–11:01 PM; Saturday/Sunday 10:59 AM–11:01 PM.
Key provisions
- Coverage trigger: Applies to any movie theater that offers more than 10 movie showings in an operating week.
- Minimum open‑captioned showings: For any movie that has four or more scheduled showings in an operating week, at least one‑quarter of that movie’s scheduled showings that week must be open‑captioned.
- No single movie is required to have more than four open‑captioned showings in a week.
- At least half of the required open‑captioned showings must begin and end within peak attendance hours.
- If fewer than 1 in 8 showings of a particular movie occur during peak hours, the requirement is satisfied if all screenings of that movie during peak hours are open‑captioned.
- If two open‑captioned movies are shown in the same theater at overlapping times, both count toward the minimum.
- Public notice: Theaters must advertise open‑captioned showtimes in the same way they advertise other showings and clearly indicate which showings include open captioning.
- Records: Theaters subject to the rule must retain documents demonstrating compliance for at least three years.
- Exceptions: The requirement does not apply to movies that were produced and distributed without open captioning available.
- Penalties: Civil fines of $100 to $500 per violation.
Who is affected
- Primary: Movie theaters (exceeding the 10 showings/week threshold), movie distributors when captions are not provided.
- Beneficiaries: Deaf and hard‑of‑hearing patrons and others who rely on captions (including non‑native speakers).
- Secondary: Theater operations and scheduling staff (must allocate showtimes, advertise, and keep records).
Enforcement & applicability
- The bill specifies civil penalties per violation but does not designate a specific enforcement agency in the text provided.
- Applies to showings on or after the bill’s effective date (legislative materials indicate a fall 2025 effective date; check the enacted law for the exact effective date in your jurisdiction).
Potential impacts and considerations
- Accessibility: Increases public access to movies for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Theater operations: Requires scheduling adjustments and recordkeeping; theaters may incur modest costs to secure captioned copies or enable caption playback, but the statute caps required showings per movie.
- Distribution limitations: Movies distributed without open captions are exempt, potentially limiting availability of captioned showings for some titles.
- Compliance: Civil fines provide a financial incentive to comply; the practical enforcement mechanism and administrative oversight should be confirmed in the final enacted text or implementing rules.
For exact legal obligations, exemptions, and the official effective date, refer to the final enrolled act in the relevant state’s statutes and any implementing guidance issued by state authorities.
