§ 18-B — Admission of children to theatres

§ 18-b. Admission of children to theatres. The local legislative body\nof any city by a majority vote may provide by local law, subject to the\nprovisions of this section, for the licensing of theatres in such city\nwherein there shall be exhibited those films which have been licensed by\nthe education department of the state of New York to admit children over\nthe age of eight years and under the age of sixteen years, unaccompanied\nby a parent or guardian or other adult person.\n No child under the age of sixteen years shall be admitted to any\ntheatre unaccompanied by a parent, guardian or other adult person,\nunless such theatre is licensed pursuant to and complies with the terms\nof a local law adopted pursuant to this section. Any such local law, and\nevery license issued thereunder, shall require:\n 1. That a separate section of seats shall be set aside on the main or\norchestra floor by the owner, operator, or management of such theatre\nand used exclusively for children, to which adults shall not be\nadmitted. Such section of seats shall be specified in the license, but\nprovision may be made therein for varying the size of such section at\ndifferent periods of time.\n 2. A seat in such section shall be provided for every such child\nadmitted to the theatre.\n 3. Such children shall not be admitted to such a theatre during the\ntime when their school classes within the city are in session.\n 4. One matron and such other assistants as may be specified in such\nlocal law, shall be provided by such owner, operator, or management of\nsuch theatre for the supervision of such children. Such matron shall be\nlicensed by such a city and the license fee, not exceeding two dollars,\nshall be paid by such owner, operator, or management of such theatre.\n Such local law may provide other and additional conditions or\nlimitations but such conditions or limitations shall not require any\nadditional approval of and shall not prohibit the exhibition of any\nmotion picture film duly licensed by the education department of the\nstate of New York.\n Such a local law may provide for the enforcement thereof, and may\nprescribe penalties for violations thereof or of licenses issued\nthereunder.\n The admission of a child between eight and sixteen years of age to a\ntheatre licensed under authority of a local law adopted pursuant to the\nprovisions of this section, where such theatre complies with the terms\nof this section and of the license, shall not be deemed a violation of\nthe provisions of section 260.20 of the penal law.\n