Places of Public Accommodation - Captioning for Motion Picture Houses - Alterations

HB 1363 lowers the screen threshold requiring motion picture houses to provide open movie captioning from eight to four screens. It mandates that qualifying theaters (with four or more screens) provide open captioning for at least two weekly screenings during a film’s first three weeks of release, and report monthly to the Commission on Civil Rights and Attorney General on captioning usage. The bill affects all Maryland movie theaters with four or more screens that show films available with captions under federal law. It updates existing requirements by clarifying captioning types, adding reporting obligations, and adjusting the screen count trigger for open captioning mandates.