SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 2093

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS.

Read 1st time March 4, 2002, and 1000 copies ordered printed.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

4583L.01I

AN ACT

To amend chapter 209, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the deaf and hard of hearing.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 209, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 209.350, to read as follows:

209.350. 1. To ensure effective communication of the content of all local news, weather, and sports broadcasts to deaf and hearing-impaired Missourians, beginning January 1, 2003, all television stations located in the state of Missouri with gross revenues in excess of three million dollars a year shall provide real-time captioning of all local news, weather, and sports programming. Because of its inability to provide maximum information, the use of electronic newsroom technology shall not satisfy the requirements of this section.

2. To avoid undue burden to television stations, all stations required to provide real-time captioning pursuant to this section may limit their expenditures for such captioning to two percent of their annual gross revenues.


Missouri House of Representatives