Good news!  A public hearing was held this morning for HCS
HB 181 as amended before the Senate Commerce, Energy and
the Environment Committee.  At that hearing, three people spoke
in support of HCS HB 181 as amended and no one opposed the
bill.  The Committee met in Executive Session after the public
hearing and voted unanimously that the bill “Do Pass.”  HSC
HB 181 as amended, if it became law, would require that beginning
January 1, 2008 manufacturers and publishers of electronic video
instructional materials (CD, DVD, videotape, film, etc) offered for
adoption or sale in Missouri must supply those materials with
either open or closed captions, or the manufacturers and publishers
will be liable to the purchaser for three times the cost of adding
captions.  We will keep you posted regarding the progress of this
bill.