S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3717
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 26, 2017
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Introduced by Sens. LARKIN, AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
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:
(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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04004-01-7