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 theaters must ensure access to fully operational closed captioning technology for all screenings 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 number of open captioning screenings for films that include open captioning content, with specific scheduling guidelines outlined for the first two weeks and subsequent weeks of a film's release. For smaller theater companies, the bill allows for flexibility in providing open captioning screenings, either by fulfilling requests within eight days or by adhering to the same requirements as larger companies.

The legislation also includes provisions for theaters to maintain documentation of compliance, advertise open captioning screenings clearly, and provide contact information for requests on their websites. It specifies definitions for closed captioning, open captioning, and what constitutes a motion picture theater. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and is officially titled the John Waldo Act.