What's happening
This bill requires places of public accommodation in New York to enable closed captioning on televisions in public areas upon request.
Why it matters
Improves accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. by making it easier for them to follow televised content in public spaces, promoting inclusivity and equal access to information and entertainment.
Puts minimal burden on businesses. since the requirement to enable closed captioning is only upon request, and only applies to TVs capable of providing captions, reducing potential operational or technical challenges.
Clarifies operational details. by specifying that only one TV needs to have captions enabled if multiple TVs are broadcasting the same channel in a public area, thus balancing accessibility needs and business practicality.
Broadens awareness of accessibility rights. by establishing a clear legal expectation that public venues must accommodate requests for closed captioning, encouraging a culture of responsiveness to people’s needs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Closed Captioning on Request
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Substituted by S1650
- Advanced to third reading cal.388
- Reported
- Referred to governmental operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Captions on Public TVs
Signed by Governor · Sponsor James Skoufis
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2076
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, GOTTFRIED, COLTON, L. ROSENTHAL, WEPRIN, BLAKE, McDONOUGH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. RODRIGUEZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to requiring places of public accommodation, resort or amusement that operate televisions during regular hours of operation to provide closed captioning on certain televisions upon request
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 79-o to read as follows:
§ 79-o. Closed captioning in places of public accommodation, resort or amusement. 1. A place of public accommodation, resort or amusement, as defined in subdivision nine of section two hundred ninety-two of the executive law, shall upon request be required to have closed captioning enabled on all televisions that are located in the public area of such establishment during regular hours of business. The regular hours of business of the place of public accommodation, resort or amusement shall be the hours of operation as posted in such establishment.
2. The provisions of this section shall not apply if:
(a) no televisions in the public area of the place of public accommodation, resort or amusement are capable of providing closed captioning; or
(b) in the event that two televisions in the public area of the place of public accommodation, resort or amusement have the same channel being broadcast, only one of the televisions shall be subject to this section.
3. As used in this section:
(a) "closed captioning" shall mean a feature on a television that when activated will visually display a transcription of the audio portion of video programming; and
(b) "public area" shall mean the section of a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement that is open to the general public.
§ 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01560-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.