STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1141-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 1156

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred S.B. No. 1156 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOVIE THEATERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to continue to support full access for persons with disabilities through meaningful accessibility requirements for movie theaters by making permanent the requirements for a public accommodation that owns, leases, leases to, or operates a motion picture theater in more than two locations in the State to provide:

(1) Open movie captioning during at least one showing per week of each motion picture that is produced and offered with open movie captioning;

(2) Audio descriptions, upon request, for all motion pictures for which such accommodations are available; and

(3) Public notice if such accommodations are not available for certain movies.

The Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Disability and Communication Access Board, Office of Language Access of the Department of Health, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting language that:

(1) Requires that at least two showings per week provide open captioning, one with a scheduled start time no earlier than 4:30 p.m. and one scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday; and

(2) Eliminates the option of fulfilling the captioning requirement through provision of personal closed captioning screenings by means of lightweight eyewear.

Your Committee has further amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2035, to facilitate further consideration; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1156, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1156, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair