u/Ocmoviesnys

Sharing an update on efforts to introduce a statewide open movie caption bill in New York State. NYC already has a law, but this would expand it statewide.

HLAA-NYS has been in contact with the legislature and was told in March that multiple Senators had expressed interest in sponsoring the 2026 bill, and that a lead sponsor would likely be determined soon probably before the end of March.

The message below is from Jerry Bergman, Director of the Advocacy Committee for the Hearing Loss Association of New York State:

Friends,

For over three months and counting, the New York State Legislature has failed to assign a lead Senate  sponsor to the Open Movie Caption Bill.  It’s pretty outrageous that cinema chains are allowed to continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers by making them obtain closed caption devices when they could easily and at no cost provide a few open captioned movie showtimes.

But here’s a bit of good news:  On April 6, Virginia Governor Spanberger signed OCAP bill HB 602 into law, to take effect on July 1 and make Virginia the 6th jurisdiction — following Hawaii, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Washington State and New York City — to require cinemas to give equal treatment to deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you live in New York State and care about this failure of our lawmakers to do the right thing, please call and write to your elected state senator and demand that the legislature act.

Jerry Bergman,

Director, Advocacy Committee

Hearing Loss Association of New York State

Sharing an update on efforts to introduce a statewide open movie caption bill in New York State. NYC already has a law, but this would expand it statewide.

HLAA-NYS has been in contact with the legislature and was told in March that multiple Senators had expressed interest in sponsoring the 2026 bill, and that a lead sponsor would likely be determined soon probably before the end of March.

The message below is from Jerry Bergman, Director of the Advocacy Committee for the Hearing Loss Association of New York State:

Friends,

For over three months and counting, the New York State Legislature has failed to assign a lead Senate  sponsor to the Open Movie Caption Bill.  It’s pretty outrageous that cinema chains are allowed to continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers by making them obtain closed caption devices when they could easily and at no cost provide a few open captioned movie showtimes.

But here’s a bit of good news:  On April 6, Virginia Governor Spanberger signed OCAP bill HB 602 into law, to take effect on July 1 and make Virginia the 6th jurisdiction — following Hawaii, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Washington State and New York City — to require cinemas to give equal treatment to deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you live in New York State and care about this failure of our lawmakers to do the right thing, please call and write to your elected state senator and demand that the legislature act.

Jerry Bergman,

Director, Advocacy Committee

Hearing Loss Association of New York State

Sharing an update on efforts to introduce a statewide open movie caption bill in New York State. NYC already has a law, but this would expand it statewide.

HLAA-NYS has been in contact with the legislature and was told that multiple Senators had expressed interest in sponsoring the 2026 bill, and that a lead sponsor would likely be determined soon probably before the end of March.

The message below is from Jerry Bergman, Director of the Advocacy Committee for the Hearing Loss Association of New York State:

Friends,

For over three months and counting, the New York State Legislature has failed to assign a lead Senate  sponsor to the Open Movie Caption Bill.  It’s pretty outrageous that cinema chains are allowed to continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers by making them obtain closed caption devices when they could easily and at no cost provide a few open captioned movie showtimes.

But here’s a bit of good news:  On April 6, Virginia Governor Spanberger signed OCAP bill HB 602 into law, to take effect on July 1 and make Virginia the 6th jurisdiction — following Hawaii, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Washington State and New York City — to require cinemas to give equal treatment to deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you live in New York State and care about this failure of our lawmakers to do the right thing, please call and write to your elected state senator and demand that the legislature act.

Jerry Bergman,

Director, Advocacy Committee

Hearing Loss Association of New York State

Sharing an update on efforts to introduce a statewide open movie caption bill in New York State. NYC already has a law, but this would expand it statewide.

HLAA-NYS has been in contact with the legislature and was told in March that multiple Senators had expressed interest in sponsoring the 2026 bill, and that a lead sponsor would likely be determined soon probably before the end of March.

The message below is from Jerry Bergman, Director of the Advocacy Committee for the Hearing Loss Association of New York State:

Friends,

For over three months and counting, the New York State Legislature has failed to assign a lead Senate  sponsor to the Open Movie Caption Bill.  It’s pretty outrageous that cinema chains are allowed to continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers by making them obtain closed caption devices when they could easily and at no cost provide a few open captioned movie showtimes.

But here’s a bit of good news:  On April 6, Virginia Governor Spanberger signed OCAP bill HB 602 into law, to take effect on July 1 and make Virginia the 6th jurisdiction — following Hawaii, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Washington State and New York City — to require cinemas to give equal treatment to deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you live in New York State and care about this failure of our lawmakers to do the right thing, please call and write to your elected state senator and demand that the legislature act.

Jerry Bergman,

Director, Advocacy Committee

Hearing Loss Association of New York State

Sharing an update on efforts to introduce a statewide open movie caption bill in New York State. NYC already has a law, but this would expand it statewide.

The message below is from Jerry Bergman, Director of the Advocacy Committee for the Hearing Loss Association of New York State:

Friends,

For over three months and counting, the New York State Legislature has failed to assign a lead Senate  sponsor to the Open Movie Caption Bill.  It’s pretty outrageous that cinema chains are allowed to continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers by making them obtain closed caption devices when they could easily and at no cost provide a few open captioned movie showtimes.

But here’s a bit of good news:  On April 6, Virginia Governor Spanberger signed OCAP bill HB 602 into law, to take effect on July 1 and make Virginia the 6th jurisdiction — following Hawaii, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Washington State and New York City — to require cinemas to give equal treatment to deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you live in New York State and care about this failure of our lawmakers to do the right thing, please call and write to your elected state senator and demand that the legislature act.

Jerry Bergman,

Director, Advocacy Committee

Hearing Loss Association of New York State

Sharing an update on efforts to introduce a statewide open movie caption bill in New York State. NYC already has a law, but this would expand it statewide.

The message below is from Jerry Bergman, Director of the Advocacy Committee for the Hearing Loss Association of New York State:

Friends,

For over three months and counting, the New York State Legislature has failed to assign a lead Senate  sponsor to the Open Movie Caption Bill.  It’s pretty outrageous that cinema chains are allowed to continue to discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers by making them obtain closed caption devices when they could easily and at no cost provide a few open captioned movie showtimes.

But here’s a bit of good news:  On April 6, Virginia Governor Spanberger signed OCAP bill HB 602 into law, to take effect on July 1 and make Virginia the 6th jurisdiction — following Hawaii, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Washington State and New York City — to require cinemas to give equal treatment to deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you live in New York State and care about this failure of our lawmakers to do the right thing, please call and write to your elected state senator and demand that the legislature act.

Jerry Bergman,

Director, Advocacy Committee

Hearing Loss Association of New York State