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Assembly Bill A3119B

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the "open shelves act"

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-A3119 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1100
Current Committee:
Assembly Libraries And Education Technology
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §254, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A7843, S7677

2025-A3119 - Summary

Ensures that library staff of free association, public, and hospital libraries, and with certain advice, Indian libraries, are able to develop collections, services, and programming that reflect the values and protections established under the human rights law and the equal rights amendment to the state constitution.

2025-A3119 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3119
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 23, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. KELLES, SEAWRIGHT, EACHUS, SIMON, LEVENBERG --
   read once and referred to the Committee  on  Libraries  and  Education
   Technology
 
 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.   Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "open shelves act".
   § 2. 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.
                                                            LBD00089-02-5

co-Sponsors

2025-A3119A - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1100
Current Committee:
Assembly Libraries And Education Technology
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §254, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A7843, S7677

2025-A3119A - Summary

Ensures that library staff of free association, public, and hospital libraries, and with certain advice, Indian libraries, are able to develop collections, services, and programming that reflect the values and protections established under the human rights law and the equal rights amendment to the state constitution.

2025-A3119A - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3119--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 23, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  KELLES, SEAWRIGHT, EACHUS, SIMON, LEVENBERG,
   GRIFFIN, PAULIN, HEVESI, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, ROMERO, REYES, RAGA, EPSTEIN,
   DAVILA, SHIMSKY, SHRESTHA, McMAHON, MAGNARELLI, LUNSFORD -- read  once
   and referred to the Committee on Libraries and Education Technology --
   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 and develop collections, services, and programming that reflect
   diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.   Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "open shelves act".
   § 2. Legislative intent. It is  the  sense  of  the  legislature  that
 public  libraries are essential to ensuring broad access to information,
 fostering informed citizenship, intellectual exploration,  and  imagina-
 tion.  By  ensuring  that library collections, services, and programming
 reflect diverse experiences and perspectives, the legislature  seeks  to
 maintain  libraries  as  spaces  where  all members of the community can
 engage with the marketplace of ideas, promoting open access to  informa-
 tion  and points of view. Librarians are professionals trained to curate
 robust collections that serve the full spectrum  of  their  communities,
 and  this  legislation  affirms the state's trust in their ability to do
 so.
   § 3. 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

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00089-06-5

co-Sponsors

2025-A3119B (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1100
Current Committee:
Assembly Libraries And Education Technology
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §254, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A7843, S7677

2025-A3119B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Ensures that library staff of free association, public, and hospital libraries, and with certain advice, Indian libraries, are able to develop collections, services, and programming that reflect the values and protections established under the human rights law and the equal rights amendment to the state constitution.

2025-A3119B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3119--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 23, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  KELLES, SEAWRIGHT, EACHUS, SIMON, LEVENBERG,
   GRIFFIN, PAULIN, HEVESI, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, ROMERO, REYES, RAGA, EPSTEIN,
   DAVILA,  SHIMSKY,  SHRESTHA,  McMAHON,  MAGNARELLI,  LUNSFORD,   OTIS,
   FORREST, SOLAGES, CONRAD -- read once and referred to the Committee on
   Libraries  and  Education  Technology  --  committee  discharged, bill
   amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
   tee  --  again  reported  from said committee with amendments, 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 and develop collections, services, and programming that reflect
   the values and protections established under the human rights law  and
   the equal rights amendment to the state constitution
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Short title. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as
 the "open shelves act".
   §  2.  Legislative  intent.  It  is  the sense of the legislature that
 public libraries are essential to ensuring broad access to  information,
 fostering  informed  citizenship, intellectual exploration, and imagina-
 tion. By ensuring that library collections,  services,  and  programming
 reflect  diverse  experiences and perspectives, the legislature seeks to
 maintain libraries as spaces where all  members  of  the  community  can
 engage  with the marketplace of ideas, promoting open access to informa-
 tion and points of view. Librarians are professionals trained to  curate
 robust  collections  that  serve the full spectrum of their communities,
 and this legislation affirms the state's trust in their  ability  to  do
 so.
   §  3.  Section  254 of the education law, as amended by chapter 718 of
 the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00089-07-5
 A. 3119--B                          2

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