VirginiaSB7222026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

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

Sponsored By: Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

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.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Closed captions at every showing

The law requires theaters to offer working closed-caption devices at every screening when a movie is distributed with closed captions. This covers any film with captions provided under federal ADA rules. It helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing follow dialogue and sounds.

Report and fix captioning violations

You can report suspected captioning violations to the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Law. The Office can ask theaters for showtime records. If it finds a violation, the theater must add one extra open-caption show in the next operating week after the notice.

Theaters must offer open-caption showings

The law requires open-caption showings for films that include open captions in their digital package and play at least seven times a week for more than one week. Large chains (five or more Virginia locations) must schedule at least four open-caption shows in the first two operating weeks after release. At least one must start Fri 5:59–11:01 p.m.; Sat/Sun 10:59 a.m.–11:01 p.m.; or Mon–Thu 5:59–10:01 p.m. From week three, large chains must add an open-caption show within 72 hours after a request, unless tickets were already sold for that screening. Smaller operators (four or fewer locations) must hold an open-caption show within 8 calendar days after a request, or they may follow the large-chain schedule. Theaters must post request contact info on their websites, advertise and label "OC" showtimes, avoid counting overlapping OC shows toward minimums, and keep compliance records for one year. They may offer more open-caption shows than required.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Angelia Williams Graves

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 202 • No: 40

House vote 2/24/2026

Passed House

Yes: 81 • No: 17

House vote 2/19/2026

Reported from Health and Human Services

Yes: 19 • No: 2

Senate vote 2/6/2026

Read third time and passed Senate

Yes: 27 • No: 13

Senate vote 2/5/2026

Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/5/2026

Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute agreed to

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/4/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/4/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/3/2026

Reported from Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 10 • No: 4

Senate vote 1/30/2026

Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 11 • No: 4

Senate vote 1/22/2026

Rereferred from Education and Health to Rehabilitation and Social Services

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0185)

    4/6/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 185 (effective 7/1/2026)

    4/6/2026Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/10/2026Governor
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

    3/10/2026Senate
  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB722)

    2/26/2026Senate
  6. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB722ER)

    2/26/2026Senate
  7. Enrolled

    2/26/2026Senate
  8. Signed by President

    2/26/2026Senate
  9. Signed by Speaker

    2/26/2026House
  10. Passed House (81-Y 17-N 0-A)

    2/24/2026House
  11. Read third time

    2/24/2026House
  12. Read second time

    2/23/2026House
  13. Reported from Health and Human Services (19-Y 2-N)

    2/19/2026House
  14. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

    2/12/2026House
  15. Read first time

    2/12/2026House
  16. Placed on Calendar

    2/12/2026House
  17. Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N 0-A)

    2/6/2026Senate
  18. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB722)

    2/6/2026Senate
  19. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

    2/5/2026Senate
  20. Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute agreed to

    2/5/2026Senate
  21. Read second time

    2/5/2026Senate
  22. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/4/2026Senate
  23. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/4/2026Senate
  24. Rules suspended

    2/4/2026Senate
  25. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)

    2/3/2026Senate

Bill Text

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