Assembly Bill A7353

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Protects the independence of libraries and shields librarians from civil and criminal liability for certain actions

download bill text pdf

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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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2025-A7353 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Libraries And Education Technology
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §286, Ed L

2025-A7353 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Protects the independence of libraries; shields librarians from civil and criminal liability for certain actions.

2025-A7353 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7353
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  R. CARROLL  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Libraries and Education Technology
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to protecting  the  inde-
   pendence of libraries and shielding librarians from civil and criminal
   liability for certain actions

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "protecting
 libraries' independence act".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 286 to  read
 as follows:
   § 286. PROTECTING LIBRARIES' INDEPENDENCE. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "INDIVIDUAL  WITH  A VESTED INTEREST IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY" MEANS
 ANY RESIDENT WHO IS SERVED BY THE PUBLIC  LIBRARY  AND  RESIDES  IN  THE
 MUNICIPALITY WHERE THE LIBRARY IS SITUATED.
   (B)  "LIBRARY  MATERIAL"  MEANS BOOKS, VIDEOS, SUBSCRIPTION OR LOCALLY
 CURATED DATABASES, NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES  AND  OTHER  SUCH  PERIODICALS,
 CHARTS,  GRAPHS, MOVIES, GAMES, MAPS, INTERACTIVE APPLICATIONS AND SOFT-
 WARE, AND OTHER SUCH ENRICHMENT OR ENTERTAINMENT MATERIALS IN ANY PRINT-
 ED OR ELECTRONIC FORMAT, INCLUSIVE OF FICTION AND NON-FICTION  BELONGING
 TO, ON LOAN TO, OR OTHERWISE IN THE CUSTODY OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
   (C) "LIBRARIAN" MEANS AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PURCHASE,
 SELECTION, CURATION, REMOVAL, AND DISPLAY OF LIBRARY MATERIALS.
   (D) "PUBLIC LIBRARY" MEANS 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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10784-04-5
 A. 7353                             2

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