Chapter 090

2012 -- S 2321

Enacted 05/22/12

A N A C T

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES - EQUAL RIGHTS OF BLIND AND DEAF PERSONS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES

Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Doyle, and Walaska

Date Introduced: February 07, 2012

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 40-9.1-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-9.1 entitled "Equal

Rights of Blind and Deaf Persons to Public Facilities" is hereby amended to read as follows:

40-9.1-1.1. Definitions. -- (a) "Guide dog" means a dog that has been or is being

specially trained to aid a particular blind or visually impaired person.

      (b) "Hearing dog" means a dog that has been or is being specially trained to aid a

particular deaf or hard-of-hearing person.

      (c) "Housing accommodations" means any real property or portion thereof that is used or

occupied, or intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied, as the home, residence or

sleeping place of one or more human beings, but does not include any single-family residence the

occupants of which rent, lease or furnish for compensation to more than one room therein.

      (d) "Personal assistance animal" means a dog that has been or is being trained as a guide

dog, hearing dog or service dog.

      (e) "Service dog" means a dog that has been or is being specially trained to aid a

particular disabled person with a disability other than sight or hearing.

      (f) "Disabled" means a disability as defined in section 42-87-1.

(g) “Closed-captioning” means a transcript or dialog of the audio portion of a television

program that is displayed on a television receiver screen when the user activates the feature.

(h) “Public area” means a part of a place of public accommodation that is open to the

general public.

(i) “Regular hours” means the hours of any day in which a place of public

accommodation is open to members of the general public.

SECTION 2. Chapter 40-9.1 of the General Laws entitled "Equal Rights of Blind and

Deaf Persons to Public Facilities" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

40-9.1-6. Closed-captioning activation required. – (a) On request, a place of public

accommodation shall keep closed-captioning activated on any closed-captioning television

receiver that is in use during regular hours in any public area.

(b) This section does not require a place of public accommodation to make closed-

captioning available in a public area at the place of public accommodation if:

(1) No television receiver of any kind is available in the public area; or

(2) The only public television receiver available in the public area is not a closed-

captioning television receiver.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01297

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