It is a new decade and a new bill for open captions in movie theaters has been born in Virginia!
Virginia Senator George Barker and Virginia State Delegate Vivian Watts introduced bills, SB 274 in the Virginia Senate and HB 747, in the Virginia House to require open captions in movie theaters. These bills:
- Require at least twice a week open captions for any movie that is shown for more than a week and that has open captions available in the digital cinema package
- Exempt theaters with fewer than 4 screens
- At least one of the screenings must be during peak viewing time (after 11:59 am and before 11 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, after 5:59 pm and before 11 pm weekdays)
Read the bills here:
Time is very short for these bills to have a chance to pass! Virginia’s state legislature meets only from January 8 to March 5. So your help is needed!
How can you help?
Virginia residents: Contact your state Delegate and state Senator to ask them to sponsor (support) this bill! If you do not know who your state Delegate and state Senator are, follow these steps:
1. Find your legislator: go to https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/
a. Enter your address or use the map
2. Results will come up
a. The first two are what you want: State Delegate and State Senator
3. Select the Email link to send an email
a. In the email, say that you live in (your town) in Virginia, and that you want them to support HB747 in the Virginia House or SB274 in the Virginia Senate
SB 274 has been assigned to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. This committee has the following members. It is important for people who have these members as their senators to send them email.
- Chair: Senator Richard L. Saslaw, district35@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr, district03@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Stephen D. Newman, district23@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Mark D. Obenshain, district26@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator L. Louise Lucas, district18@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr., district05@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator John S. Edwards, district21@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator R. Creigh Deeds, district25@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator George L. Barker (Bill Sponsor – just say thank you!), district39@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator David W. Marsden, district37@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Adam P. Ebbin, district30@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr., district06@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator Scott A. Surovell, district36@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator T. Montgomery "Monty" Mason, district01@senate.virginia.gov
- Senator John J. Bell, district13@senate.virginia.gov
HB 747 has not yet been assigned to a House committee. When HB 747 is assigned early next week, this information will be added to the web update posted at the bottom of the petition.
A video on the Virginia bills has been posted on Facebook in sign language with a transcript.
If you’re not in Virginia…you can email the Chair of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Richard L. Saslaw at district35@senate.virginia.gov. Tell him you want the bill(s) to pass because although you do not live in Virginia, when you visit Virginia, you want to be able to go to see an open captioned movie anytime! Plus, you will be spending your money in Virginia to see movies.
Everyone: Spread the word on the petition – especially to Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, DC residents – because numbers count! (There are already bills in DC and Vermont.) High numbers for Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, DC will demonstrate to legislators in those states and the District that people want and support open captions in movie theaters! Post on Facebook, Twitter, other social media, email and text friends and family! Make videos and post them publicly! Tell people when you see them in person! Remember, we do not have much time to get this bill for Virginia passed. Whether this bill (and the Vermont and DC bills) passes depends on you!
Use this easy-to-remember link to share: https://tinyurl.com/ocmoviesnow