Places of Public Accommodation - Open Movie Captioning

HB 435 modifies Maryland's requirements for movie captioning in theaters. It lowers the threshold from eight to four or more screens for theaters to provide open movie captioning (text displayed on screen that cannot be turned off) for at least two weekly screenings after a movie's premiere. The bill applies to theaters operating four or more screens in Maryland and changes the timeline: open captioning must be provided for the first three weeks of a film's release, then only with reasonable notice afterward. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.