Senate Bill S7677

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Ensures that staff in libraries are able to curate collections, services, and programming that reflect diverse interests

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 21, 2024	print number 7677a
Feb 21, 2024	amend (t) and recommit to libraries
Jan 03, 2024	referred to libraries
Oct 02, 2023	referred to rules

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

co-Sponsors

2023-S7677 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7843
Current Committee:: Senate Libraries
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §254, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:: S1100, A3119

2023-S7677 - Summary

Ensures that staff in libraries are able to curate collections, services, and programming that reflect the interests of all people of the community that the library serves.

2023-S7677 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7677

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
libraries to adopt policies preventing the banning of certain library
materials, services, or programming

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new paragraph to Section 254 of the education law,
which requires libraries receiving funds from the state to adopt poli-
cies that prohibit removing materials, services, and programming based
on partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Section sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Democratic self-government depends on a free exchange of ideas and
information, and our libraries must continue to ensure that ideas and

information are available for people to embrace or reject in line with
their values and those they learn from their families and communities.
This bill helps to protect the rights of citizens to read, grow, and
learn by ensuring that library boards will continue to provide the
broadest range of access to a broad spectrum of materials and program-
ming in their communities. This legislation ensures that public
libraries will continue to provide access to ideas, old and new, and
respect the ability of library patrons to make decisions about what
content they wish to borrow.

The current movement around the country to ban books from libraries and
classrooms focuses on books that help young people understand our socie-
ty, our history, and themselves from a range of perspectives, including
perspectives very similar to their own. Research shows that children are
more excited, and therefore more likely, to read books that feature
characters with whom they can identify.

New York state is known for its diversity, a core part of this state's
identity that we cherish and cultivate. To continue honoring our proud
legacy of inclusion, it is critical that we ensure citizens have access
to a broad range of materials them to let them pursue a love of learning
and reading, which help them understand our world and their place in it
and help them develop affinity and empathy for people with differing
identities and experiences. By ensuring that every New Yorker has
library access to many perspectives on contemporary and historical
issues, and new ways to imagine the future, we help those who choose to
exercise the option to broaden their perceptions and make informed deci-
sions on whether they embrace, reject, expand, or alter those perspec-
tives.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
30 days after the act shall become law

2023-S7677 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7677
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              October 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law,  in  relation  to  requiring  certain
   libraries  to adopt policies preventing the banning of certain library
   materials, services, or programming

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 254 of the education law, as amended by chapter 718
 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
   § 254. Standards  of  library service. 1. The regents shall have power
 to fix standards of library service for every free  association,  public
 and  hospital  library  or,  with  the  advice of the appropriate tribal
 government and library board of trustees, Indian library which  receives
 any  portion  of  the  moneys  appropriated  by  the  state  to aid such
 libraries, or which is supported in whole or in part by  tax  levied  by
 any  municipality  or  district.  In the case of a hospital library or a
 library serving a hospital,  such  standards  shall  be  established  in
 consultation  with the commissioner of health. If any such library shall
 fail to comply with the regents requirements,  such  library  shall  not
 receive  any  portion  of the moneys appropriated by the state for free,
 hospital or Indian libraries nor shall any tax be levied by any  munici-
 pality or district for the support in whole or in part of such library.
   2.  SUCH  STANDARDS  SHALL REQUIRE EVERY FREE ASSOCIATION, PUBLIC, AND
 HOSPITAL LIBRARY OR, WITH THE ADVICE OF THE APPROPRIATE  TRIBAL  GOVERN-
 MENT  AND  LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, INDIAN LIBRARY, WHICH RECEIVES ANY
 PORTION OF THE MONEYS APPROPRIATED BY THE STATE TO AID  SUCH  LIBRARIES,
 TO   ADOPT  POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  THAT  ENSURE  LIBRARY  MATERIALS,
 SERVICES, AND PROGRAMMING SHALL NOT BE PROSCRIBED OR REMOVED BECAUSE  OF
 PARTISAN OR DOCTRINAL DISAPPROVAL.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13335-01-3

co-Sponsors

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7843
Current Committee:: Senate Libraries
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §254, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:: S1100, A3119

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Ensures that staff in libraries are able to curate collections, services, and programming that reflect the interests of all people of the community that the library serves.

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7677A

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
libraries to adopt policies ensuring that library staff are able to
curate collections, services, and programming that reflect diverse
interests

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new paragraph to Section 254 of the education law,
which requires libraries receiving funds from the state to adopt poli-
cies that empower library staff to develop collections and programming
that serve the needs of all members of their community.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Democratic self-government depends on a free exchange of ideas and

information, and our libraries must continue to ensure that ideas and
information are available for people to embrace or reject in line with
their values and those they learn from their families and communities.
This bill helps to protect the rights of citizens to read, grow, and
learn by ensuring that library boards will continue to provide the
broadest range of access to a broad spectrum of materials and program-
ming in their communities. This legislation ensures that public
libraries will continue to provide access to ideas, old and new, and
respect the ability of library patrons to make decisions about what
content they wish to borrow.

The current movement around the country to ban books from libraries and
classrooms focuses on books that help young people understand our socie-
ty, our history, and themselves from a range of perspectives, including
perspectives very similar to their own. Research shows that children are
more excited, and therefore more likely, to read books that feature
characters with whom they can identify.

New York state is known for its diversity, a core part of this state's
identity that we cherish and cultivate. To continue honoring our proud
legacy of inclusion, it is critical that we ensure citizens have access
to a broad range of materials them to let them pursue a love of learning
and reading, which help them understand our world and their place in it
and help them develop affinity and empathy for people with differing
identities and experiences. By ensuring that every New Yorker has
library access to many perspectives on contemporary and historical
issues, and new ways to imagine the future, we help those who choose to
exercise the option to broaden their perceptions and make informed deci-
sions on whether they embrace, reject, expand, or alter those perspec-
tives.

** The A-print requires library systems to have in place collection
development policies that allow staff to develop collections and
programming that represent the interests of all members of their commu-
nity. **

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
30 days after the act shall become law

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7677--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              October 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. MAY, COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules --  recommitted
   to the Committee on Libraries in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
   --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
   and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the education law,  in  relation  to  requiring  certain
   libraries  to  adopt  policies ensuring that library staff are able to
   curate collections, services, and  programming  that  reflect  diverse
   interests
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 254 of the education law, as amended by chapter 718
 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
   § 254. Standards of library service. 1. The regents shall  have  power
 to  fix  standards of library service for every free association, public
 and hospital library or, with  the  advice  of  the  appropriate  tribal
 government  and library board of trustees, Indian library which receives
 any portion of  the  moneys  appropriated  by  the  state  to  aid  such
 libraries,  or  which  is supported in whole or in part by tax levied by
 any municipality or district. In the case of a  hospital  library  or  a
 library  serving  a  hospital,  such  standards  shall be established in
 consultation with the commissioner of health. If any such library  shall
 fail  to  comply  with  the regents requirements, such library shall not
 receive any portion of the moneys appropriated by the  state  for  free,
 hospital  or Indian libraries nor shall any tax be levied by any munici-
 pality or district for the support in whole or in part of such library.
   2. SUCH STANDARDS SHALL REQUIRE EVERY FREE  ASSOCIATION,  PUBLIC,  AND
 HOSPITAL  LIBRARY  OR, WITH THE ADVICE OF THE APPROPRIATE TRIBAL GOVERN-
 MENT AND LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, INDIAN LIBRARY, WHICH  RECEIVES  ANY
 PORTION  OF  THE MONEYS APPROPRIATED BY THE STATE TO AID SUCH LIBRARIES,
 TO ADOPT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ENSURE LIBRARY STAFF ARE  ABLE  TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13335-02-4

 S. 7677--A                          2
 
 CURATE  AND  DEVELOP COLLECTIONS, SERVICES, AND PROGRAMMING THAT REFLECT
 THE INTERESTS OF ALL PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THE LIBRARY SERVES.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7677

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2023-S7677 - Details

2023-S7677 - Summary

2023-S7677 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7677 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Rachel May

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

Leroy Comrie

2023-S7677 - Details

2023-S7677 - Summary

2023-S7677 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7677 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

Leroy Comrie

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7677A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments