Virginia Senate Bill 722 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: Passed on April 6 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-06 - Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0185)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]

Open captioning at motion picture theaters. Establishes requirements for open captioning for motion picture theaters. The bill requires all motion picture theater companies, excluding outdoor theaters such as drive-in theaters, that own, operate, control, or lease five or more locations in the Commonwealth and are open to the general public to provide open captioning on any film that has at least seven showings per operating week for a period greater than one operating week, provided that open captioning is available to the theater for such film as part of the digital cinema package. The bill specifies that (i) within the first two operating weeks following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least four open captioning viewings; (ii) at least one of such open captioning viewings shall start between (a) 5:59 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Friday, (b) 10:59 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, or (c) 5:59 p.m. and 10:01 p.m. on a Monday through Thursday; and (iii) beginning in the third operating week following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least one open captioning viewing within 72 hours after receiving a request for such a viewing provided that no theater shall be obligated to provide open captioning viewing for any particular screening for which advance tickets have been sold prior to its receipt of such request.Under the bill, motion picture theater companies are required to provide contact information on their websites for receiving and fulfilling requests for open captioning screenings and advertise the date and time of open captioning screenings in the same manner used to advertise all other motion picture screenings and indicate which screenings shall include open captioning by utilizing the character symbol "OC" or such other language or symbols as may reasonably identify which screenings will include open captioning. The bill directs the Office of Civil Rights of the Attorney General of Virginia to establish a process for receiving consumer reports of suspected violations of the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Disability Commission. This bill is identical to HB 602.

Motion picture theaters; definitions, establishes requirements for open captioning.

Sen. Angelia Williams Graves [D]

2026-02-24 - House - Passed House (81-Y 17-N 0-A) (Y: 81 N: 17 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-02-19 - House - Reported from Health and Human Services (19-Y 2-N) (Y: 19 N: 2 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-02-06 - Senate - Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N 0-A) (Y: 27 N: 13 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-04 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-03 - Senate - Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N) (Y: 10 N: 4 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-30 - Senate - Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N) (Y: 11 N: 4 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-01-22 - Senate - Rereferred from Education and Health to Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N) (Y: 14 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-04-06		Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0185)
2026-04-06		Approved by Governor-Chapter 185 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-03-10		Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-10	Senate	Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
2026-02-26	Senate	Signed by President
2026-02-26	House	Signed by Speaker
2026-02-26	Senate	Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB722)
2026-02-26	Senate	Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB722ER)
2026-02-26	Senate	Enrolled
2026-02-24	House	Passed House (81-Y 17-N 0-A)
2026-02-24	House	Read third time
2026-02-23	House	Read second time
2026-02-19	House	Reported from Health and Human Services (19-Y 2-N)
2026-02-12	House	Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
2026-02-12	House	Read first time
2026-02-12	House	Placed on Calendar
2026-02-06	Senate	Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N 0-A)
2026-02-06	Senate	Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB722)
2026-02-05	Senate	Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
2026-02-05	Senate	Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute agreed to
2026-02-05	Senate	Read second time
2026-02-04	Senate	Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-04	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-04	Senate	Rules suspended
2026-02-03	Senate	Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)
2026-01-30	Senate	Committee substitute printed 26106714D-S1
2026-01-30	Senate	Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N)
2026-01-30	Senate	Senate committee offered
2026-01-22	Senate	Rereferred from Education and Health to Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N)
2026-01-14	Senate	Referred to Committee on Education and Health
2026-01-14	Senate	Presented and ordered printed 26104982D

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722/text/SB722
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722/text/SB722SC1
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722/text/SB722S1
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722/text/SB722ER
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722/text/CHAP0185
Supplement	https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132049.PDF
Supplement	https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1184534.PDF
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/S9V851
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/S4V469
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/S5V950
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/SV220
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/SV259
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/H24V2613371
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB722/20261/26110500