Bill Text: NJ S1001 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires movie theaters to install captioning technology for use by hearing impaired patrons.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-17 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee [S1001 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1001-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires movie theaters to install captioning technology for use by hearing impaired patrons.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning accessibility in certain public buildings and supplementing P.L.1971, c.269 (C.52:32-4 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any movie theater company operating nine or more screens in this State shall provide assistive listening devices, and install captioning equipment and descriptive narration services, at all its theater locations. All such movie theater companies shall train their employees in proper use and maintenance of such equipment, and shall keep such equipment updated and in working order. Captioning, assistive listening and descriptive narration services shall be made available at no extra charge to patrons. For any screening room in which a captioning or narration system is provided which relies on individual equipment used at the patron's seat, the movie theater company shall make available to patrons at least ten sets of such equipment for use in that screening room. Movie theater companies shall include information on the availability of such equipment for particular film screenings as part of their schedules or advertisements published through print, telephone and electronic media.
b. For the purposes of subsection a. of this section:
(1) "assistive listening devices" means earphones, headphones or other devices designed enhance or improve the audibility of the audio portion of a film;
(2) "captioning equipment" means technology that displays supplied readable words which describe the audio or sound portion of a film or program, in a manner that allows a reader to simultaneously follow the matching dialogue and action components of the film or program; and
(3) "descriptive narration services" means a headset system that provides blind or visually impaired patrons with narrated information about visual elements of a film.
c. Pursuant to the authority granted under P.L.1971, c.269 (C.52:32-4 et seq.), the Commissioner of Community Affairs shall, within 90 days of the effective date of this act, promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act, including a schedule for the installation of captioning equipment by theater operators, and requirements for the number of screens per theater location required to have captioning equipment available.
d. Nothing in subsection a. or b. of this section shall be construed to prohibit an aggrieved person or State official from filing an administrative complaint or court action under the "Law Against Discrimination," P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.), asserting that any movie theater company, including a company operating fewer than nine screens in New Jersey, has failed to provide captioning equipment, supplementary audio equipment or other auxiliary aids or services as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability.
2. This act shall take effect immediately; however, subsection a. of section 1 shall become operative in accordance with a schedule set forth in the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
STATEMENT
This bill would require any movie theater company operating nine or more screens in this State to provide assistive listening devices, and install captioning equipment and descriptive narration services, at all its theater locations at no extra charge to patrons, to train their employees in proper use and maintenance of such equipment, and to keep such equipment updated and in working order. The bill would require movie theater companies to include information on the availability of such equipment for particular film screenings as part of their schedules or advertisements published through print, telephone and electronic media.
This legislation seeks to grant greater accessibility to the hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents who are hearing impaired, either deaf or hard of hearing. The need for this legislation is underscored by the recent filing of a discrimination complaint by the State's Attorney General and the Director of the Division of Civil Rights against the Regal Entertainment Group, which has resulted in four other major theater companies voluntarily agreeing to make their theaters accessible to the hearing impaired population by installing captioning equipment, or expanding its availability.
Innovative captioning technology is currently available that would facilitate the use of captions by the hearing impaired without disturbing the viewing experience of others in the theater. For example, a "Rear Window Captioning" or RWC system displays reversed captions on a light-emitting text display screen mounted in the rear of the theater. Hearing impaired patrons use a transparent acrylic panel, which is portable and attaches to their seat, to reflect the captions and superimpose them against the screen. Captions are only viewable to those using the panel.
