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S 101

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2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Gambrell

Requiring places of public accommodation in MA to activate closed captioning on public TVs upon request during regular hours; penalties as discrimination if not complied.

Act No. 32
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 101

Summary — S.101 (2025): "An Act to require closed captioning in telecommunications in public areas"

Status: Introduced Jan 15–16, 2025; Referred to committees (see timeline). Hearing scheduled 09/22/2025 (A‑1, 1:00–5:00 PM).

Purpose

To require places of public accommodation in Massachusetts to keep closed captioning activated on television receivers in public areas when requested, improving access to televised audio content for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who otherwise rely on captions.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new Section 10 to Chapter 25C of the Massachusetts General Laws.
  • Defines terms:
    • "Closed captioning": transcript/dialogue of the audio portion of a television program displayed on screen when activated.
    • "Closed-captioning television receiver": any receiver capable of displaying closed captioning (television, digital set‑top box, other technology).
    • "Public area": part of a place of public accommodation open to the general public.
    • "Regular hours": hours during which the place is open to the public.
  • Main requirement (subsection b): Upon request, a place of public accommodation must keep closed captioning activated on any closed‑captioning television receiver that is in use in a public area during regular hours.
  • Exceptions (subsection c): The requirement does not apply if (1) no television receiver is available in the public area, or (2) the only public television receiver available is not a closed‑captioning capable receiver.
  • Enforcement (subsection d): Violations are treated as discrimination under section 98 of Chapter 272. The Massachusetts Commission on Discrimination (as referenced in the bill) has authority over alleged violations.

Who is affected

  • Places of public accommodation (e.g., waiting rooms, lobbies, restaurants, bars, common areas in businesses and public facilities) that provide televisions in public areas during regular hours.
  • People who are deaf, hard of hearing, non‑native speakers, or others who benefit from captioning.
  • Businesses that currently provide caption-capable receivers will need to ensure captions can be activated and are activated upon request; venues without caption-capable receivers are not required to upgrade under this bill.

Potential impact

  • Low to moderate compliance cost where caption-capable equipment already exists (training staff to enable captions, maintaining settings).
  • Increased audiovisual accessibility and reduced communication barriers for people with hearing loss.
  • Enforcement through anti‑discrimination complaint processes could lead to investigations or remedies where captions are not provided upon request.

Legislative timeline & notes

  • Introduced in the Senate 01/15/2025 (read twice; referred to committee).
  • Multiple committee referrals are listed (Environment & Public Works; Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders) — the record provided contains inconsistent committee assignments.
  • Hearing scheduled for 09/22/2025 (A‑1).
  • The bill text is presented in MA Senate form (sponsored/petitioned in the text by state senators Michael J. Barrett, Joanne M. Comerford, Patricia D. Jehlen, James B. Eldridge). The metadata provided also lists other sponsors (Catherine Cortez Masto; Patrick M. Gallivan) and related/companion measures — these entries appear inconsistent with the Massachusetts bill text and may reflect clerical overlap or errors in the supplied metadata.

If you want, I can: (1) map expected compliance steps for affected businesses, or (2) draft a short plain‑language sign/template notice businesses can use to inform patrons how to request captions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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