The Open Caption movement has scored one win: the New York City bill (INT 2020-2020) for open captions passed on December 15, 2021!

Deaf and hard of hearing advocates worked together to get this bill passed. People learning English as a second language also expressed support.

Key provisions:

• Applies to any theater offering more than 10 movie showings per week
• Open-captioning must be offered for at least one quarter of screenings of films which have four or more showings per week, with certain exceptions
• Theaters are required to offer up to 4 open-captioned screenings per week for any film
• Theaters must indicate which showings have open-captioning and advertise all films in the same manner.

INT 2020-2020 mandates that half of the required open-captioned showings each week must be during "peak" times (6 - 11 pm Monday - Friday and 11:30 am to 11 pm Saturday & Sunday) with certain exceptions for films not normally shown during peak times. An additional one-quarter of open-captioned showings must be during "secondary" peak times: Monday - Thursday evenings.

The bill was introduced by New York City Council Member Helen Rosenthal. In the press release from Rosenthal’s office announcing the passage of the bill, it was noted that “one in five” New York City residents has hearing loss. (A summary of the press release can be found here.)  In addition, the release repeatedly cited health risks associated with having to use shared closed caption equipment.

Now that the New York City bill has passed, now what? The battle for new open caption laws will continue in other states and cities! The New York City law applies only to New York City – nowhere else. It does not even apply to New York State as a whole – only to New York City.  In other states, cities, and counties, access to open captions will be limited and advocates will have to request open caption screenings, until new open caption legislation is passed in those states and cities too.