Senate File 2271 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2271 BY STAED , DONAHUE , and SALMON A BILL FOR An Act relating to captioning requirements for motion picture 1 theaters. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5395XS (3) 91 lh/jh

S.F. 2271 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 216C.13 Captioning in motion 1 picture theaters. 2 1. For purposes of this section, unless the context 3 otherwise requires: 4 a. “Closed captioning” means the written display of a motion 5 picture’s dialogue or transcript, including but not limited to 6 nonspeech information such as music, character identities, and 7 other sounds or sound effects by means of a personal captioning 8 device that delivers captions to individual patrons. 9 b. “Large motion picture theater company” means any person 10 who controls, operates, owns, or leases five or more motion 11 picture theaters in this state. 12 c. “Motion picture theater” means an establishment in which 13 motion pictures are regularly exhibited to the public for an 14 admission charge. 15 d. “Open captioning” means the written, on-screen display 16 of a motion picture’s dialogue and nonspeech information, 17 including but not limited to music, the identity of the 18 character speaking, or other sounds and sound effects. 19 e. “Small motion picture theater company” means any person 20 who controls, operates, owns, or leases between one and four 21 motion picture theaters in this state. 22 2. A motion picture theater shall provide access to fully 23 operational and well-maintained closed captioning technology 24 for each screening of a motion picture that is produced and 25 available with closed captioning as required by Tit. III of the 26 federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 27 3. If a motion picture is produced with open captioning and 28 distributed to motion picture theaters, a large motion picture 29 theater company shall provide open captioning screenings 30 of such motion picture that has at least five scheduled 31 screenings at that theater, provided that the theater has 32 digital projection systems that support open captioning files. 33 Such open captioning screenings must occur within each of the 34 following time periods: 35 -1- LSB 5395XS (3) 91 lh/jh 1/ 4

S.F. 2271 a. Within each of the first two weeks of such a motion 1 picture’s release, the motion picture theater shall provide 2 at least two open captioning screenings, of which at least 3 one must begin between 5:59 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. on Fridays or 4 between 10:59 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. on Saturdays or Sundays. 5 b. Within each week after the first two weeks of such a 6 motion picture’s release, the motion picture theater shall 7 provide at least one open captioning screening per week, 8 which must begin between 5:59 p.m. and 10:01 p.m. on Mondays, 9 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays; between 5:59 p.m. and 10 11:01 p.m. on Fridays; or between 10:59 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. on 11 Saturdays or Sundays. 12 4. If a motion picture is produced with open captioning 13 and distributed to motion picture theaters, a small motion 14 picture theater company shall, at each theater that has digital 15 projection systems that support open captioning files, provide 16 at least one of the following: 17 a. An open captioning screening within eight calendar days 18 after receiving a request pursuant to subsection 6. 19 b. Open captioning consistent with the requirements for 20 motion picture theaters pursuant to subsection 3. 21 5. This section shall not prevent a motion picture theater 22 from offering more open captioning screenings than required 23 under this section. 24 6. Motion picture theaters shall provide contact 25 information on the motion picture theater’s internet site for 26 the purpose of receiving and fulfilling requests for open 27 captioning screenings. 28 7. If an open captioning screening of a motion picture 29 overlaps with one or more other open captioning screenings of 30 the same motion picture at the same motion picture theater, 31 no more than one such motion picture screening may be counted 32 toward the minimum number of screenings required by this 33 section, except where it is not practicable to avoid such 34 overlap. 35 -2- LSB 5395XS (3) 91 lh/jh 2/ 4

S.F. 2271 8. A motion picture theater shall advertise the date and 1 time of open captioning screenings in the same manner as the 2 motion picture theater advertises all other motion picture 3 screenings and indicate which screenings will include open 4 captioning by using the character symbol “OC”. 5 9. A motion picture theater shall maintain documents 6 sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of 7 this section for a period of at least one year. 8 EXPLANATION 9 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 10 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 11 This bill relates to captioning requirements for motion 12 picture theaters. 13 The bill requires a motion picture theater to provide access 14 to fully operational and well-maintained closed captioning 15 technology for each screening of a motion picture that is 16 produced and available with closed captioning. 17 The bill establishes open captioning requirements for 18 motion pictures that are produced with open captioning and 19 distributed to motion picture theaters. The bill requires 20 large motion picture theater companies operating five or more 21 motion picture theaters in the state to provide a minimum 22 number of open captioning screenings at each theater with at 23 least five scheduled screenings of the motion picture, provided 24 the theater has digital projection systems that support open 25 captioning files. 26 The bill provides that if a small motion picture theater 27 company operates four or fewer motion picture theaters in 28 the state, each qualifying theater must either provide an 29 open captioning screening within eight days after receiving 30 a request for such a screening or offer open captioning 31 consistent with the requirements of large motion picture 32 companies. 33 The bill requires motion picture theaters to provide contact 34 information on their internet sites for receiving requests 35 -3- LSB 5395XS (3) 91 lh/jh 3/ 4

S.F. 2271 for open captioned screenings. The bill also requires motion 1 picture theaters to advertise open captioning screenings in 2 the same manner as other screenings. The bill requires motion 3 picture theaters to maintain documentation sufficient to 4 demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the bill for 5 at least one year. 6 -4- LSB 5395XS (3) 91 lh/jh 4/ 4