Plain English Summary
This bill requires movie theaters in North Carolina with more than 10 weekly showings to provide open captioning (on-screen text display of dialogue and sound descriptions) for at least one-fourth of showings for movies that play four or more times per week, with a maximum of four captioned showings required per movie per week. Theaters must advertise captioned showings and maintain compliance records, with violations subject to civil penalties of $100-$500.
Arguments in Favor
Supporters argue this bill improves accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers, as well as those with auditory processing difficulties or in noisy environments, allowing them equal access to entertainment. They contend that open captioning is a reasonable accommodation that benefits viewers without significantly burdening theater operations, since only a fraction of weekly showings are required to have captions and many movies are already captioned.
Arguments Against
Opponents raise concerns that open captioning requirements could reduce profits for smaller and mid-sized theaters already facing financial pressure, as captioning setup has technical costs and some moviegoers prefer uncaptioned showings. They argue that existing closed captioning devices (headsets) serve deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons without requiring changes to all theatrical presentations, and question whether state mandates on private businesses are appropriate rather than voluntary industry standards.
AI-generated analysis based on bill text. Always verify with official sources at ncleg.gov. This is not legal or political advice.
Sponsors
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 112
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 29
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 66
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 116
Cosponsors (12)
Representative · District 114
Representative · District 100
Representative · District 48
Representative · District 27
Representative · District 41
Representative · District 102
Representative · District 26
Representative · District 45
Representative · District 92
Representative · District 98
Representative · District 31
Representative · District 107