On December 18, 2015, the City of Portland’s Ordinance that requires activation of closed captioning on televisions in public areas becomes effective. Under this requirement, any person owning or managing a public facility must activate closed captioning on any closed-captioned television receiver in use in any public area during regular hours.

A “public facility” has the same meaning as a place of public accommodation, defined in ORS 659A.400 (2013). More specifically, a public facility means any place or service offering to the public accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges where in the nature of goods, services, lodgings, amusements, transportation or otherwise; any place that is open to the public and owned or maintain by a public body; any service to the public that is provided by the public body.

A “public area” means any part of a public facility that is open to the general public.