File #: Int 1307-2025    Version: * Name: Establishing a film, television, and theater accessibility fund to promote the employment of persons with disabilities.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction
On agenda: 6/11/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a film, television, and theater accessibility fund to promote the employment of persons with disabilities
Sponsors: Christopher Marte, Farah N. Louis
Council Member Sponsors: 2
Summary: This bill would create a film, television, and theater accessibility fund administered by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development. Through this fund, MOME would award grants to film, television, and theater productions that commit to hiring and accommodating persons with disabilities, including through the engagement of production access coordinators. MOME would also provide resources and guidance to productions, collect and analyze data on disability employment in the industry, and share best practices. In addition, the bill requires MOME to post information about the fund on its website, and submit an annual report detailing how grant money was used, the number of persons with disabilities hired by each production, and other information relevant to evaluating the fund’s effectiveness.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1307, 2. Int. No. 1307, 3. June 11, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda

Int. No. 1307

 

By Council Members Marte and Louis

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a film, television, and theater accessibility fund to promote the employment of persons with disabilities

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Section 22-1301 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding new definitions of “mayor’s office of media and entertainment” and “production access coordinator” in alphabetical order to read as follows:

Mayor’s office of media and entertainment. The term “mayor’s office of media and entertainment” means the mayor’s office of media and entertainment, as established by mayoral executive order number 31 for the year 2018, as amended, or any successor to such office.

Production access coordinator. The term “production access coordinator” means a professional who works with film, television, or theater productions to identify and address access needs, ensure the hiring and accommodation of persons with disabilities, and coordinate any necessary resources or services that facilitate such inclusion.

§ 2. Chapter 13 of title 22 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 22-1304 to read as follows:

§ 22-1304 Film, television, and theater accessibility fund. a. Establishment of fund. The mayor’s office of media and entertainment, in collaboration with the mayor’s office for people with disabilities and the mayor’s office of talent and workforce development, shall establish and administer a film, television, and theater accessibility fund from which grants may be awarded to productions to promote the hiring and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

b. Administration, eligibility, and grant awards. 1. The mayor’s office of media and entertainment, in collaboration with the mayor’s office for people with disabilities and the mayor’s office of talent and workforce development, shall:

(a) Provide resources, guidance, or other forms of support to productions that commit to inclusive hiring practices;

(b) Collect and analyze data regarding the employment of persons with disabilities in the film, television, and theater industry and share best practices with participating productions; and

(c) Develop or facilitate training and certification programs for production access coordinators.

2. The mayor’s office of media and entertainment may award a grant to a production only if the production:

(a) Files an application on a form and in a manner prescribed by the mayor’s office of media and entertainment;

(b) Demonstrates a plan to hire or otherwise include persons with disabilities in creative, technical, or support roles;

(c) Submits a proposed plan for providing reasonable accommodations, including engaging or compensating production access coordinators, that aligns with the purpose of the fund; and

(d) Meets any additional criteria established by the mayor’s office of media and entertainment.

3. In determining the amount of a grant provided pursuant to this subdivision, the mayor’s office of media and entertainment shall consider factors including, but not limited to:

(a) The demonstrated commitment of the production to meaningful employment of persons with disabilities;

(b) The scope and budget of the production;

(c) The financial resources necessary for accommodations, including the engagement of production access coordinators; and

(d) Any other considerations the mayor’s office of media and entertainment deems necessary to ensure equitable and efficient use of the fund.

c. Website. The mayor’s office of media and entertainment shall post on its website, and update as appropriate, information on the film, television, and theater accessibility fund, including eligibility requirements, instructions for the application process, and any deadlines for submitting grant applications.

d. Reporting. No later than one year after the effective date of the local law that added this section, and annually thereafter, the mayor’s office of media and entertainment, in coordination with the mayor’s office for people with disabilities and the mayor’s office of talent and workforce development, shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post on the website of the mayor’s office of media and entertainment, a report on the film, television, and theater accessibility fund established under this section. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:

1. The name and address of each production receiving a grant;

2. The amount of each grant;

3. The number of persons hired by each production through the film, television, and theater accessibility fund; and

4. Any other information that the mayor’s office of media and entertainment deems relevant to assessing the effectiveness of the fund.

§ 3. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.

 

JL/SOS

LS #18466

4/11/2025 4:30pm