The bill establishes new requirements for motion picture theaters in Washington State regarding the provision of closed and open captioning for films. It mandates that all public accommodation theaters must ensure access to fully operational closed captioning technology for every screening of films that are produced with such features, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, theaters that operate five or more locations are required to offer a minimum of two open captioning screenings within the first two weeks of a film's release, with specific time slots designated for these screenings. For theaters with four or fewer locations, they must provide an open captioning screening within eight days of a request or adhere to the same requirements as larger chains.

The bill also includes provisions for advertising open captioning screenings, maintaining compliance documentation, and clarifies definitions related to closed and open captioning. It specifies that drive-in theaters are exempt from these requirements. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and may be referred to as the John Waldo Act.