Assembly Bill A7777

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the freedom to read act

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

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-A7777 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1099
Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§276 & 283, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A6873, S6350

2025-A7777 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "freedom to read act"; requires the commissioner of education and school library systems to develop policies to ensure that school libraries and library staff are empowered to curate and develop collections that provide students with access to the widest array of developmentally appropriate materials available.

2025-A7777 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7777
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMONE, OTIS, LEVENBERG, LAVINE, McMAHON, CLARK,
   SLATER, MORINELLO, SHRESTHA, STIRPE, BURDICK, MEEKS, SHIMSKY  --  read
   once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
   to read act"

   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 "freedom to read act".
   § 2. Section 276 of the education law is amended to read as follows:
   § 276. Existing rules continued in force.  All existing provisions  of
 law  and  rules  established  by  the  commissioner of education for the
 management of public school libraries shall hold good as to the  manage-
 ment  of  such school libraries until altered by or in pursuance of law.
 SUCH LAWS AND RULES ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER SHALL INCLUDE  POLI-
 CIES  TO  ENSURE  THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY STAFF, INCLUDING BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO CERTIFIED LIBRARY MEDIA  SPECIALISTS,  ARE  EMPOWERED  TO
 CURATE  AND DEVELOP COLLECTIONS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO THE
 WIDEST ARRAY  OF  DEVELOPMENTALLY  APPROPRIATE  MATERIALS  AVAILABLE  TO
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
   §  3. Section 283 of the education law, as added by chapter 348 of the
 laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
   § 283. Functions of school library systems.  The functions  of  school
 library  systems  shall  include but not be limited to: (a) creating and
 developing a union catalog of materials listing the  resources  of  each
 participating  school library; (b) developing a plan which will aid each
 participating school library in cooperative collection development;  (c)
 adopting  and implementing an interlibrary loan policy and program among
 participating school libraries;  (d)  assuring  a  method  of  effective
 delivery  of library materials within the system; (e) promoting develop-
 ment programs  and  continuing  education  for  staff  of  participating
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03534-01-5

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