STAND. COM. REP. NO.  829

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1272

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1272, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to remove communication barriers at motion picture theaters for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision by requiring motion picture theaters that operate more than two facilities in the State and are open to the general public to provide open movie captioning and descriptive narration during at least two showings per week of each motion picture that is offered for viewing and making a violation of these requirements a discriminatory practice.

The Hawaii Deaf Surfers Association, Hawaii Association of the Blind, Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind Alumni Club, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and numerous individuals supported this measure.  The State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and Disability and Communication Access Board supported the intent of the measure and suggested amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Removing the provision requiring the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to adopt rules; and

(2)  Providing definitions for "motion picture theater" and "facilities."

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1272, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1272, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair