NY State Senate Bill 2025-S10429

Current 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
May 15, 2026	referred to libraries

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Libraries
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §414-a, Ed L

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires boards of education to develop written policies for the development of school library collections.

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S10429

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to development of school
library collection policies

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require each school district to adopt a written policy governing the
development of its school library collection, grounded in professional
standards of school librarianship.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section 414-a to the Education Law requiring each
board of education to adopt a written policy for the development of its
school library collection. The policy must address selection criteria,
the role of certified librarians in selection and evaluation, ongoing
collection maintenance, and procedures for accepting donations. Policies
must be grounded in professional standards of school librarianship,

developed with input from certified librarians and school library
systems, and posted publicly.  School library systems must develop model
policies for district use.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Certified school librarians and library media specialists hold state
certifications and are trained specifically in collection development,
child development, and educational standards. They are the professionals
best positioned to determine what belongs in a school library. Yet in
too many districts, no written policy governs how collections are built,
and no formal role exists for librarians in that process. Collection
decisions get made without professional grounding, without transparency,
and without consistency.

This bill closes that gap. Every district will be required to have a
policy that reflects professional standards and draws on the expertise
of its own certified staff. School library systems will develop model
policies to support districts in meeting that requirement.

Districts with clear, professionally grounded collection policies are
better equipped to serve students and better positioned when collection
decisions face scrutiny. This bill provides that foundation.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10429
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Libraries
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to development of  school
   library collection policies
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  414-a
 to read as follows:
   §  414-A.  DEVELOPMENT  OF SCHOOL LIBRARY COLLECTION POLICIES. 1. EACH
 BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL ADOPT A WRITTEN POLICY FOR THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF
 SCHOOL  LIBRARY  COLLECTIONS.  SUCH  POLICY SHALL ESTABLISH CRITERIA AND
 PROCEDURES FOR THE SELECTION, ACQUISITION, ONGOING EVALUATION, AND DEAC-
 CESSIONING OF LIBRARY MATERIALS. SUCH POLICY SHALL GOVERN ALL  DECISIONS
 REGARDING  THE SELECTION AND CURATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS IN THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT, AND SHALL BE CONCORDANT WITH OTHER REQUIRED POLICIES.
   2. A COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE
 OF THIS SECTION SHALL ADDRESS:
   (A) THE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND COMMUNITY NEEDS SUCH COLLECTION  IS
 DESIGNED TO SERVE;
   (B)  THE CRITERIA USED TO SELECT NEW LIBRARY MATERIALS AND TO EVALUATE
 THE COLLECTION ON AN ONGOING BASIS, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF ACCURACY,
 QUALITY, RELEVANCE, AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS,  CONSISTENT  WITH
 GENERALLY ACCEPTED PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANSHIP;
   (C)  THE  ROLE OF CERTIFIED LIBRARIANS OR LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS AS
 THE  PRIMARY  PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  RESPONSIBLE  FOR   RECOMMENDING   THE
 SELECTION  OF LIBRARY MATERIALS AND FOR CONDUCTING ONGOING EVALUATION OF
 THE COLLECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED IN SUCH POLI-
 CY;
   (D) THE  PROCESS  FOR  ONGOING  EVALUATION  AND  MAINTENANCE  OF  SUCH
 COLLECTION; AND
   (E) PROCEDURES FOR ACCEPTING GIFTS OR DONATIONS OF LIBRARY MATERIALS.
   3. POLICIES DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEVELOPED WITH
 INPUT  FROM  SCHOOL  LIBRARY SYSTEMS AND CERTIFIED LIBRARIANS OR LIBRARY
 MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND SHALL BE INFORMED BY  GENERALLY  ACCEPTED  PROFES-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD15588-02-6
 S. 10429                            2
 
 SIONAL  STANDARDS  OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANSHIP, AND SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH
 ALL APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF LAW GOVERNING LIBRARY MATERIAL  RECONSIDER-
 ATION.
   4. EACH POLICY DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE MADE AVAIL-
 ABLE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.
   5.  SCHOOL  LIBRARY  SYSTEMS,  AS  ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
 HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, SHALL  DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE
 MODEL  COLLECTION  DEVELOPMENT  POLICIES  FOR USE BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION. SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY ADOPT OR  ADAPT  SUCH
 MODELS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S10429

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Actions

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Rachel May

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Actions

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10429 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments