HB602
Motion picture theaters; definitions, establishes requirements for open captioning.
Status:
Passed
Latest Action:
March 10, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Chief Patron:
Phil Hernandez (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Open captioning at motion picture theaters.
Establishes requirements for open captioning for motion picture theaters. The bill requires all motion picture theater companies, excluding outdoor theaters such as drive-in theaters, that own, operate, control, or lease five or more locations in the Commonwealth and are open to the general public to provide open captioning on any ... (More) film that has at least seven showings per operating week for a period greater than one operating week, provided that open captioning is available to the theater for such film as part of the digital cinema package. The bill specifies that (i) within the first two operating weeks following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least four open captioning viewings; (ii) at least one of such open captioning viewings shall start between (a) 5:59 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Friday, (b) 10:59 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, or (c) 5:59 p.m. and 10:01 p.m. on a Monday through Thursday; and (iii) beginning in the third operating week following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least one open captioning viewing within 72 hours after receiving a request for such a viewing provided that no theater shall be obligated to provide open captioning viewing for any particular screening for which advance tickets have been sold prior to its receipt of such request.Under the bill, motion picture theater companies are required to provide contact information on their websites for receiving and fulfilling requests for open captioning screenings and advertise the date and time of open captioning screenings in the same manner used to advertise all other motion picture screenings and indicate which screenings shall include open captioning by utilizing the character symbol 'OC' or such other language or symbols as may reasonably identify which screenings will include open captioning. The bill directs the Office of Civil Rights of the Attorney General of Virginia to establish a process for receiving consumer reports of suspected violations of the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Disability Commission. (Less)
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Bill History
- 01/13/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104564D
- 01/13/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
- 01/28/2026 - House: Placed on General Laws Agenda
- 01/29/2026 - House: Referred from General Laws and referred to Health and Human Services (Voice Vote)
- 01/29/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
- 01/30/2026 - House: Assigned sub: Health
- 02/06/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB602)
- 02/09/2026 - House: Placed on Health and Human Services Agenda
- 02/10/2026 - House: House subcommittee offered
- 02/10/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)
- 02/11/2026 - House: Placed on Health and Human Services Agenda
- 02/12/2026 - House: Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (19-Y 1-N 1-A)
- 02/12/2026 - House: Committee substitute printed 26106291D-H1
- 02/15/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/16/2026 - House: Read second time
- 02/16/2026 - House: committee substitute agreed to
- 02/16/2026 - House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- 02/17/2026 - House: Read third time and passed House (79-Y 17-N 0-A)
- 02/18/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/18/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
- 02/25/2026 - Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 4-N)
- 02/26/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/26/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/26/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 02/26/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB602)
- 02/27/2026 - Senate: Read third time
- 02/27/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day
- 03/02/2026 - Senate: Passed Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 03/06/2026 - House: Enrolled
- 03/06/2026 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB602ER)
- 03/06/2026 - House: Signed by Speaker
- 03/06/2026 - Senate: Signed by President
- 03/06/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB602)
- 03/10/2026 - House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
- 03/10/2026 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
