Places of Public Accommodation - Open Movie Captioning
Summary
HB435 amends Maryland’s public accommodations law to expand when motion picture houses must provide open movie captioning. The bill lowers the screen-count threshold from eight screens to four screens for theaters that are required to offer open movie captioning, while keeping the existing requirement that qualifying theaters provide at least two open-captioned screenings per week for each movie that is available with open captions. It also preserves the existing requirement that motion picture houses provide access to closed movie captioning technology for films available with that feature under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
The bill continues to exempt smaller or less frequently screened films from the open-captioning requirement: it does not apply to movies screened fewer than five times per week, and the open-captioning obligation applies only during the first three weeks after a film premieres in the theater. After that period, theaters covered by the law may provide open movie captioning with reasonable notice. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
Impact
HB435 changes Section 20-306 of the State Government Article by broadening the class of motion picture houses subject to open movie captioning requirements. The practical effect is to impose captioning obligations on more theaters in Maryland, especially mid-sized multiplexes with four or more screens, and to increase access for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing or who otherwise rely on captions. It does not alter the separate closed-captioning obligations for television receivers in public areas or the ADA-based closed movie captioning requirement, but it does expand the state-law accessibility duties of theater operators.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have enjoyed strong support in the House, passing third reading by a wide margin of 121 yeas to 5 nays. The committee report was favorable, and there is no recorded committee transcript indicating substantial opposition in the available materials. Overall, the legislative record suggests broad agreement with the bill’s accessibility goals and relatively limited resistance.
Contention
The main point of contention is the expanded mandate on theater operators, particularly the reduction of the threshold from eight screens to four screens. Opponents would likely view this as increasing compliance costs and operational burdens for more theaters, especially those that may have limited staffing or scheduling flexibility. Supporters, by contrast, are focused on improving access to movies for patrons who need open captions and on making captioned screenings available at more locations. The bill also preserves some limits—such as the first-three-weeks window and the exemption for films screened fewer than five times per week—which may reflect an effort to balance accessibility with theater operations.