NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9006
SPONSOR: Vanel TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to
disclosure of motion picture start times
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Relates to the disclosure of motion picture start times.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
61.15(1) - Sets definitions.
61.15(2) - Profile the display of a motion pictures start time that does
not display the actual start time of the motion picture.
61.15(3) - Permits the display of the preview start time
61.15(4) - Sets penalties
Section 2 provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Motion picture start times printed online, in advertisements, and on
tickets don't actually represent the start time of the motion picture.
Instead, they represent the start time of the previews and promotional
materials. Consumers who arrive on time will typically spend between 20
and 30 minutes watching these previews and promotions before the movie
starts. For the consumer, this can have a real monetary and social
impact. Consumers not only may leave obligations earlier than they
needed to in order to see the motion picture, but they may also consume
their snacks purchased at the theater prior to the movie beginning.
There is no justification for deceiving consumers into believing a movie
starts earlier than it actually does, particularly when they
cannot.leave the theater's premises and - as it often is the case -
cannot bring their own snacks to eat if they consumed their purchased
snacks within the extremely long 30-minute preview period.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
N/A
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9006
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
August 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. VANEL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development
AN ACT to amend the arts and cultural affairs law, in relation to
disclosure of motion picture start times
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The arts and cultural affairs law is amended by adding a
2 new section 61.15 to read as follows:
3 § 61.15. Motion picture start time disclosures. 1. For purposes of
4 this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
5 (a) "Ticket operator" shall mean the person or entity responsible for
6 overseeing the content of a ticket.
7 (b) "Ticket" shall mean a digital or physical limited purpose license
8 to, at a minimum, enter a specific theater and attend a specific screen-
9 ing of a specific motion picture.
10 (c) "Theater" shall mean any venue screening a motion picture.
11 (d) "Motion picture" shall mean audiovisual works consisting of a
12 series of related images which, when shown in succession, impart an
13 impression of motion, together with accompanying sounds, if any, exclud-
14 ing previews and promotional content.
15 (e) "Previews and promotional content" shall mean any content which
16 promotes or advertises a motion picture, product or service. This
17 includes, but is not limited to:
18 (i) Trailers for upcoming films;
19 (ii) Advertisements for products, services, or other commercial inter-
20 ests; and
21 (iii) Announcements or sponsorships messages unrelated to the content
22 of the advertised film.
23 2. A ticket operator shall not knowingly display, advertise or provide
24 a person with a ticket for a motion picture screening which does not
25 conspicuously display the scheduled start time of the motion picture.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13591-01-5
A. 9006 2
1 3. A ticket operator shall be permitted to include the start time of
2 previews and promotional content on the ticket, provided that the sched-
3 uled start times for both the motion picture and the previews and promo-
4 tional content are clearly labeled as such.
5 4. The attorney general may impose a civil penalty of not more than
6 two hundred and fifty dollars per screening which violates the
7 provisions of subdivision two or three of this section.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
9 have become a law.
