Bill Commons

VA SB 722

enacted

Motion picture theaters; definitions, establishes requirements for open captioning.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · upper

Description

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 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. This bill is identical to HB 602.

Introduced
2026-01-14
Status date
—
Latest action
2026-04-06 — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0185)
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Angelia Williams Gravesprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-14

    Presented and ordered printed 26104982D

    introduction

  2. 2026-01-14

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-22

    Rereferred from Education and Health to Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N)

    referral-committee

  4. 2026-01-30

    Senate committee offered

  5. 2026-01-30

    Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N)

    committee-passage

  6. 2026-01-30

    Committee substitute printed 26106714D-S1

    substitution

  7. 2026-02-03

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)

    committee-passage

  8. 2026-02-04

    Rules suspended

  9. 2026-02-04

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  10. 2026-02-04

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  11. 2026-02-05

    Read second time

    reading-2

  12. 2026-02-05

    Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute agreed to

  13. 2026-02-05

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

    substitution

  14. 2026-02-06

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB722)

  15. 2026-02-06

    Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  16. 2026-02-12

    Placed on Calendar

  17. 2026-02-12

    Read first time

    reading-1

  18. 2026-02-12

    Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

    referral-committee

  19. 2026-02-19

    Reported from Health and Human Services (19-Y 2-N)

    committee-passage

  20. 2026-02-23

    Read second time

    reading-2

  21. 2026-02-24

    Read third time

    reading-3

  22. 2026-02-24

    Passed House (81-Y 17-N 0-A)

    passage

  23. 2026-02-26

    Enrolled

    enrolled

  24. 2026-02-26

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB722ER)

    passage

  25. 2026-02-26

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB722)

  26. 2026-02-26

    Signed by Speaker

    passage

  27. 2026-02-26

    Signed by President

    passage

  28. 2026-03-10

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

    enrolled,executive-receipt

  29. 2026-03-10

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    executive-receipt

  30. 2026-04-06

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 185 (effective 7/1/2026)

    executive-signature

  31. 2026-04-06

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0185)

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Rereferred from Education and Health

    2026-01-22 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: not voting
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes

  • Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute

    2026-01-30 · pass · 11-4

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: no
    • Bryce E. Reeves: no
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: no
    • Christopher T. Head: no
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes

  • Reported from Finance and Appropriations

    2026-02-03 · pass · 10-4

    Member-level votes (15)
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: no
    • Mark D. Obenshain: no
    • Richard H. Stuart: not voting
    • Bryce E. Reeves: no
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: no
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes

  • Constitutional reading dispensed R

    2026-02-04 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Passage R

    2026-02-06 · pass · 27-13

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: no
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: no
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: no
    • Tara A. Durant: no
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: no
    • Christopher T. Head: no
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: no
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: no
    • Mark J. Peake: no
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
    • Richard H. Stuart: no
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
    • David R. Suetterlein: no
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Reported from Health and Human Services

    2026-02-19 · pass · 19-2

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Sam Rasoul: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • Irene Shin: yes
    • Joshua G. Cole: yes
    • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
    • Debra D. Gardner: not voting
    • Laura Jane Cohen: yes
    • Mark C. Downey: yes
    • Nicole Cole: yes
    • Garrett McGuire: yes
    • M. Keith Hodges: yes
    • Wendell S. Walker: yes
    • Mike A. Cherry: no
    • Phillip A. Scott: yes
    • H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: yes
    • Mitchell Cornett: no
    • Wren M. Williams: yes

  • H VOTE:

    2026-02-24 · pass · 81-17

    Member-level votes (99)
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Bonita G. Anthony: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: no
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
    • Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Betsy B. Carr: yes
    • Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
    • Mike A. Cherry: no
    • Nadarius E. Clark: yes
    • Laura Jane Cohen: yes
    • Joshua G. Cole: yes
    • Nicole Cole: yes
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
    • Mitchell Cornett: no
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Karrie K. Delaney: yes
    • Lindsey Dougherty: yes
    • Mark C. Downey: yes
    • Michael B. Feggans: yes
    • Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: yes
    • Lily V. Franklin: yes
    • Margaret A. Franklin: yes
    • Debra D. Gardner: yes
    • Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: no
    • Jackie H. Glass: yes
    • Timothy P. Griffin: no
    • Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
    • Karen Hamilton: no
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Dan I. Helmer: yes
    • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • M. Keith Hodges: yes
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Hillary Pugh Kent: no
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • Paul E. Krizek: yes
    • Amy J. Laufer: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
    • Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
    • Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
    • Marty Martinez: yes
    • John Chilton McAuliff: yes
    • Adele Y. McClure: yes
    • Garrett McGuire: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: not voting
    • Joseph P. McNamara: no
    • Kirk McPike: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • May Nivar: yes
    • Delores Oates: no
    • Israel D. O'Quinn: yes
    • Justin Pence: no
    • Eric Phillips: yes
    • Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • Sam Rasoul: yes
    • Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Chris S. Runion: yes
    • Charlie Schmidt: yes
    • Don Scott: yes
    • Phillip A. Scott: no
    • Holly M. Seibold: yes
    • Briana D. Sewell: yes
    • Irene Shin: yes
    • Marcus B. Simon: yes
    • Shelly A. Simonds: yes
    • JJ Singh: yes
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Luke E. Torian: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: yes
    • Wendell S. Walker: yes
    • Jeion A. Ward: yes
    • R. Lee Ware: no
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Michael J. Webert: no
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Bill Wiley: no
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Tony O. Wilt: yes
    • Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
    • Scott A. Wyatt: no
    • Eric R. Zehr: no

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB722

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z

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