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Committee reviews draft hearing-protection ordinance for music venues; seeks more analysis
Summary
Council staff presented a draft ordinance that would require certain loud-music venues to offer hearing protection with a noise reduction rating of at least 20 decibels, either free or for sale at $1 or less. Councilmembers asked for more analysis on scope, enforcement costs, legal liability and outreach to the music industry.
The Seattle City Council Finance, Native Communities & Tribal Governments Committee discussed a draft hearing-protection ordinance on March 19 that would require some music venues to make hearing protection available to patrons.
Councilmember Dan Strauss, who sponsored the briefing after constituent office hours raised the issue, summarized the proposal: venues covered by the draft would either provide earplugs for free or offer at least one option for sale at $1 or less and would be encouraged to post notice of availability. Jasmine Marwaha of Council Central Staff presented the draft and said the policy goals are to raise awareness about noise risks, expand access to hearing protection and limit burdens on businesses.
Marwaha cited federal health data and municipal examples. She noted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures that “nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults age 20 to 69 years show some evidence of noise-induced hearing loss.” She also described two U.S. municipal models: Minneapolis requires clubs and bars that…
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