Skip to Main Content

Legislative Resource Guide: HB 254

2017 Legislative Resource Guide

HB 254

Closed Captioning Activation Required Without Request

House Bill 254 proposes to require places of public accommodation to keep closed captioning activated on specified television receivers under specified circumstances during regular hours regardless of whether the closed captioning was requested by an individual.[1]

HB 254 will amend existing law, in which the current law requires places of public accommodation to activate closed captioning upon request.[2] Places of public accommodation include, but are not limited to: bars, restaurants, gyms, hotels, and sports venues. HB 254 eliminates the “upon request” clause, recognizing that public televisions in places of public accommodations need to be automatically accessible to Maryland’s 1.2 million Deaf and hard of hearing Marylanders.

The Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has previously posted a resource guide on the existing statute: please see http://odhh.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/SB68FactSheet1.pdf.

Currently, if a public television’s captioning is not activated, an individual must ask the place of public accommodation’s manager or staff to turn on the closed captioning. Based on feedback from the Deaf and hard of hearing community, this requirement has often resulted in miscommunication, confusion, and disputes if the place of public accommodation is unaware of their legal obligations or refuses to abide by the law’s requirements. Oftentimes, only the manager has the authority to fulfill the request and the remote to set up the closed captioning may be unavailable or locked away. Community members have also reported that enforcement of the existing law is inadequate.

All televisions are already equipped with closed captioning capability and use of closed captioning does not incur additional expenses.

In addition to enabling Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to fully receive information (including critical information pertaining to their safety), closed captioning also has increased usability for all individuals. Closed captioning use results in better comprehension for viewers who know or are learning English as a second language, an enhanced learning environment for children or adults who are learning to read, better clarity of names and unfamiliar terminology, improved comprehension of on-screen dialogue that is unclear, and improved access to televisions in noisy environments, such as restaurants and bars.[3]

(Updated January 30, 2017)

[1]http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=hb0254&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2017RS

[2] Maryland State Government Code §20-306

[3] http://odhh.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2015/10/SB68FactSheet1.pdf

Close window
Close Disclaimer

Google Translate Disclaimer

The Maryland Department of Information Technology (“DoIT”) offers translations of the content through Google Translate. Because Google Translate is an external website, DoIT does not control the quality or accuracy of translated content. All DoIT content is filtered through Google Translate which may result in unexpected and unpredictable degradation of portions of text, images and the general appearance on translated pages. Google Translate may maintain unique privacy and use policies. These policies are not controlled by DoIT and are not associated with DoIT’s privacy and use policies. After selecting a translation option, users will be notified that they are leaving DoIT’s website. Users should consult the original English content on DoIT’s website if there are any questions about the translated content.

DoIT uses Google Translate to provide language translations of its content. Google Translate is a free, automated service that relies on data and technology ​​​to provide its translations. The Google Translate feature is provided for informational purposes only. Translations cannot be guaranteed as exact or without the inclusion of incorrect or inappropriate language. Google Translate is a third-party service and site users will be leaving DoIT to utilize translated content. As such, DoIT does not guarantee and does not accept responsibility for, the accuracy, reliability, or performance of this service nor the limitations provided by this service, such as the inability to translate specific files like PDFs and graphics (e.g. .jpgs, .gifs, etc.).

DoIT provides Google Translate as an online tool for its users, but DoIT does not directly endorse the website or imply that it is the only solution available to users. All site visitors may choose to use alternate tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use DoIT content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk. DoIT is not liable for any loss or damages arising out of, or issues related to, the use of or reliance on translated content. DoIT assumes no liability for any site visitor’s activities in connection with use of the Google Translate functionality or content.

The Google Translate service is a means by which DoIT offers translations of content and is meant solely for the convenience of non-English speaking users of the website. The translated content is provided directly and dynamically by Google; DoIT has no direct control over the translated content as it appears using this tool. Therefore, in all contexts, the English content, as directly provided by DoIT is to be held authoritative.