The New York State Senate

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1547

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 12, 2017
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. ZEBROWSKI, GOTTFRIED, COLTON, TITONE, SKOUFIS,
  ROSENTHAL, WEPRIN, McDONOUGH, BLAKE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of  A.
  BRINDISI,  KEARNS,  RODRIGUEZ,  SKARTADOS -- read once and referred to
  the Committee on Governmental Operations

AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to requiring places of
  public accommodation, resort or  amusement  that  operate  televisions
  during  regular  hours  of  operation  to provide closed captioning on
  certain televisions upon request

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The  civil  rights law is amended by adding a new section
79-o to read as follows:
  § 79-O. CLOSED CAPTIONING IN PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR
AMUSEMENT. 1. A PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR  AMUSEMENT,  AS
DEFINED  IN  SUBDIVISION  NINE  OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-TWO OF THE
EXECUTIVE LAW, SHALL UPON REQUEST BE REQUIRED TO HAVE CLOSED  CAPTIONING
ENABLED  ON  ALL TELEVISIONS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE PUBLIC AREA OF SUCH
ESTABLISHMENT DURING REGULAR HOURS OF BUSINESS.  THE  REGULAR  HOURS  OF
BUSINESS OF THE PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT SHALL
BE THE HOURS OF OPERATION AS POSTED IN SUCH ESTABLISHMENT.
  2. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY IF:
  (A)  NO TELEVISIONS IN THE PUBLIC AREA OF THE PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMO-
DATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING CLOSED  CAPTIONING;
OR
  (B)  IN THE EVENT THAT TWO TELEVISIONS IN THE PUBLIC AREA OF THE PLACE
OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT    HAVE  THE  SAME  CHANNEL
BEING  BROADCAST,  ONLY  ONE OF THE TELEVISIONS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THIS
SECTION.
  3. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04004-01-7

A. 1547                             2

  (A) "CLOSED CAPTIONING" SHALL MEAN A FEATURE ON A TELEVISION THAT WHEN
ACTIVATED WILL VISUALLY DISPLAY A TRANSCRIPTION OF THE AUDIO PORTION  OF
VIDEO PROGRAMMING; AND
  (B) "PUBLIC AREA" SHALL MEAN THE SECTION OF A PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMO-
DATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT THAT IS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
  § 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.