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Senate Bill S10554

2025-2026 Legislative Session

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

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

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Bill Amendments

2025-S10554 - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Libraries
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §286, Ed L

2025-S10554 - Summary

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

2025-S10554 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10554 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10554
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 21, 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 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.
   2.  A  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  SHALL  HAVE A DUTY TO MAKE A REASONABLE EFFORT
 WITHIN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND CAPACITY TO PROVIDE  LIBRARY  MATERIAL
 THAT  HAS  BEEN REQUESTED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN THE
 PUBLIC LIBRARY.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

2025-S10554A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Libraries
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §286, Ed L

2025-S10554A (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-S10554A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10554A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                 10554--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 21, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Libraries  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 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) "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.
   (B) "LIBRARIAN" MEANS AN EMPLOYEE OF A PUBLIC LIBRARY OR SOMEONE WORK-
 ING ON A PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEHALF THROUGH A CONSULTING AGREEMENT  WHO  IS
 RESPONSIBLE  FOR THE PURCHASE, SELECTION, CURATION, REMOVAL, AND DISPLAY
 OF LIBRARY MATERIALS.
   (C) "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.
   2. NO PUBLIC LIBRARY SHALL PROSCRIBE, BAN, OR REMOVE ANY LIBRARY MATE-
 RIAL BECAUSE OF PARTISAN OR DOCTRINAL DISAPPROVAL OR SOLELY OR  SUBSTAN-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10784-08-6

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