NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8630C

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate & Assembly

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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Actions

View Actions

Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 04, 2026	returned to senate passed assembly ordered to third reading rules cal.498 substituted for a9537b
Jun 02, 2026	referred to ways and means delivered to assembly passed senate
May 21, 2026	advanced to third reading
May 20, 2026	2nd report cal.
May 19, 2026	1st report cal.1179
May 07, 2026	print number 8630c
May 07, 2026	amend and recommit to education
Apr 24, 2026	print number 8630b
Apr 24, 2026	amend and recommit to education
Mar 11, 2026	print number 8630a
Mar 11, 2026	amend and recommit to education
Jan 07, 2026	referred to education
Dec 22, 2025	referred to rules

Votes

- Jun 2, 2026 - Floor Vote
  S8630C
  
  Aye
  
  51
  
  Nay
  
  10
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  1
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 2, 2026
      
      aye (51)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Baskin
      
      Bottcher
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Bynoe
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Fahy
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Krueger
      
      Liu
      
      Martinez
      
      Martins
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Murray
      
      Myrie
      
      Oberacker
      
      Palumbo
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Sutton
      
      Tedisco
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      Zellner
      
      nay (10)
      
      Borrello
      
      Chan
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Lanza
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Stec
      
      Walczyk
      
      Weik
      
      absent (1)
      
      Parker
      
      excused (1)
      
      Cooney
      
      The following Member(s) participated via videoconferencing: Krueger Brouk
  May 19, 2026 - Education Committee Vote
  S8630C
  
  Aye
  
  12
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  3
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Education Committee Vote: May 19, 2026
      
      aye (12)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bynoe
      
      Cleare
      
      Jackson
      
      Liu
      
      Martinez
      
      Mayer
      
      Salazar
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Sutton
      
      Weik
      
      aye wr (3)
      
      Chan
      
      Tedisco
      
      Weber

Bill Amendments

Original

C (Active)

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9537
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §414-a, Ed L

2025-S8630 - Summary

Requires each board of education to adopt a written policy for reconsideration of school library materials and make such policy available on its website; requires such policies to include provisions for the creation of a reconsideration committee to review complaints regarding school library materials; requires the commissioner of education to develop one or more model policies for school districts.

2025-S8630 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8630

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
PURPOSE:

To affirm New York's commitment to intellectual freedom in public educa-
tion by protecting students' access to ideas, supporting the profes-
sional judgment of school librarians, and ensuring that challenges to
school library materials are handled through clear, fair, and transpar-
ent processes rather than political pressure or censorship.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill adds a new section to the Education Law governing school
library materials. It requires boards of education to adopt and publicly
post written policies for the development of school library collections
and for the reconsideration of library materials. It establishes basic

procedural requirements for handling challenges to library materials,
including review committees, timelines, appeal pathways, and transparen-
cy.

The bill prohibits the removal or restriction of library materials based
solely on disagreement with ideas, viewpoints, or identities, and
ensures that materials remain available while under review. It protects
school library staff from discipline when acting in reasonable reliance
on district policy, while preserving the supervisory authority of boards
of education and superintendents. The bill directs the Commissioner of
Education to promulgate implementing regulations and develop model poli-
cies, and authorizes school library systems to provide additional guid-
ance.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In recent years, school libraries have increasingly become targets of
organized efforts to restrict access to materials based on viewpoint,
identity, or political disagreement. These efforts are often framed as
concern or protection, but in practice they can function to remove
certain ideas or experiences from shared public spaces. Censorship rare-
ly announces itself openly. More often, it works through pressure and
uncertainty, exploiting unclear rules and fear of controversy.

The Freedom to Read Act responds to this moment directly. It affirms
that decisions about school library materials should be guided by
professional standards and publicly adopted policies, not by political
pressure. It ensures that challenges to library materials are handled
through fair, transparent procedures that respect community input while
safeguarding access to ideas. It makes clear that materials cannot be
removed simply because someone disagrees with the ideas they express or
the identities they reflect.

Clear procedures matter because they make decisions predictable and
fair. They give families a defined way to raise concerns and ensure
those concerns are addressed consistently. They give educators guidance
they can rely on. And they reduce the risk that access to materials
turns on pressure, fear of controversy, or uneven treatment across
districts.

At the same time, this bill respects local governance. Boards of educa-
tion retain the authority to adopt policies and make final decisions.
Superintendents retain supervisory authority over staff.  The bill does
not mandate specific titles, viewpoints, or collections. It does not
impose uniformity. Instead, it establishes a clear framework so disa-
greements are resolved through process rather than pressure.

The free flow of ideas is essential to a democratic society. Even in a
digital age, many of the ideas that shape how we understand the world
still reach us the same way they always have: as words on a page.
School libraries are one of the first places where young people encount-
er ideas outside an assignment, a classroom discussion, or an adult's
explanation. They are places where curiosity leads, where students
discover voices, histories, and perspectives they did not already know
to seek out.

That role matters. A democracy depends on citizens who can encounter
unfamiliar ideas, question them, and think critically about what they
mean. That process is not always comfortable. But discomfort is some-
times necessary for developing the mind. Exposure to ideas is not indoc-
trination. Inquiry is not a threat. Students do not become thoughtful
participants in civic life by being shielded from complexity, but by
learning how to engage it.

New York has long recognized this. Our state has a deep tradition of
opposing censorship and insisting that ideas be met with discussion
rather than suppression. That tradition lives in our public libraries,
our schools, and our respect for academic freedom. School librarians are
trained professionals whose work is not simply custodial, but inten-
tional. They build collections that support literacy, learning, and
intellectual growth, guided by professional standards and an understand-
ing of their school communities. Their role is central to education and
deserves clarity, respect, and protection.

New York's students deserve access to knowledge, not narrowed shelves.
Librarians deserve the ability to do their work without fear. Schools
deserve guidance that reduces conflict rather than inflaming it. This
bill advances all three.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This bill follows prior legislation addressing similar subject matter
and incorporates feedback raised during that process.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1 after it becomes law.

2025-S8630 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8630
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 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.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 414-a to
 read as follows:
   § 414-A. SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS. 1.  (A)  EACH  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION
 SHALL  ADOPT  A WRITTEN POLICY FOR THE RECONSIDERATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARY
 MATERIALS. SUCH POLICY  SHALL  EXPLAIN:  (I)  HOW  COMPLAINTS  REGARDING
 LIBRARY  MATERIALS MAY BE SUBMITTED; (II) WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEW-
 ING COMPLAINTS; AND (III) HOW A FINAL DECISION IS MADE.
   (B) A POLICY ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL  INCLUDE  A  GENERAL TIMELINE FOR THE REVIEW PROCEDURE AND PROVIDE
 FOR THE CREATION OF A RECONSIDERATION  COMMITTEE  TO  REVIEW  COMPLAINTS
 REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS. SUCH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE SHALL
 BE  COMPOSED  OF  AT  LEAST ONE OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING, AND EACH WHICH
 SHALL BE AFFILIATED WITH THE RELEVANT SCHOOL  DISTRICT,  AND  MAY  BE  A
 STANDING  COMMITTEE  AT  THE DISCRETION OF THE DISTRICT: (I) A CERTIFIED
 LIBRARIAN OR LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST; (II) A TEACHER;  (III)  A  SCHOOL
 ADMINISTRATOR; (IV) A PARENT; AND (V) WHERE POSSIBLE, A STUDENT.
   (C)  A  POLICY  ADOPTED  PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION
 SHALL FURTHER PROVIDE FOR A FINAL APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. SUCH
 POLICY SHALL ALSO PROVIDE NOTICE ON THE RIGHT TO  FILE  APPEALS  TO  THE
 COMMISSIONER  PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED TEN OF THIS CHAPTER. ALL
 DECISIONS SHALL FOLLOW THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WRITTEN POLICIES AND  SHALL
 NOT BE BASED SOLELY ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE IDEAS, VIEWPOINTS, OR IDEN-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14305-02-5
 S. 8630                             2

 
 TITIES  REPRESENTED IN THE MATERIAL. SUCH POLICY SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE
 ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.
   2.  NO  LIBRARY MATERIAL SHALL BE REMOVED OR RESTRICTED SOLELY BECAUSE
 OF DISAGREEMENT WITH THE THEMES, IDEAS, OR VIEWPOINTS EXPRESSED IN IT OR
 BECAUSE OF THE IDENTITIES OF THE AUTHOR, SUBJECT, OR CHARACTERS. REMOVAL
 OR RESTRICTION SHALL COMPLY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ADOPTED  POLICIES
 AND  THE  MATERIAL  SHALL  NOT  BE  REMOVED FROM ITS LOCATION WITHIN THE
 LIBRARY AND SHALL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO  RESERVE,  CHECK  OUT,  OR  ACCESS
 WHILE IT IS UNDER REVIEW.
   3.  NO  LIBRARY  MEDIA  SPECIALIST OR OTHER SCHOOL EMPLOYEE SHALL FACE
 DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR SELECTING, RETAINING, OR RECOMMENDING  MATERIALS
 IN  REASONABLE  RELIANCE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ADOPTED POLICIES. THIS
 SHALL NOT LIMIT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OR  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION'S  GENERAL
 SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY OVER EMPLOYEES, AS LONG AS SUCH SUPERVISION IS NOT
 BASED ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE VIEWPOINTS IN MATERIALS.
   4.  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH THE STATE LIBRARIAN AND
 OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR THE  IMPLEMENTATION
 OF  THIS SECTION AND SHALL DEVELOP ONE OR MORE MODEL POLICIES FOR USE BY
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
   5. SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS, AS  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  TWO
 HUNDRED  EIGHTY-TWO  OF  THIS  CHAPTER, SHALL DEVELOP AND MAKE AVAILABLE
 MODEL POLICIES FOR USE BY SCHOOL  DISTRICTS.  SUCH  MODEL  POLICIES  MAY
 INCLUDE  SAMPLE  COLLECTION-DEVELOPMENT  POLICIES AND SAMPLE RECONSIDER-
 ATION PROCEDURES. SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY ADOPT OR ADAPT SUCH MODELS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2025-S8630A - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9537
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §414-a, Ed L

2025-S8630A - Summary

2025-S8630A - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8630A

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
PURPOSE:

To affirm New York's commitment to intellectual freedom in public educa-
tion by protecting students' access to ideas, supporting the profes-
sional judgment of school librarians, and ensuring that challenges to
school library materials are handled through clear, fair, and transpar-
ent processes rather than political pressure or censorship.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The bill requires every school board to adopt a written policy for
handling complaints about library materials. That policy must establish
a reconsideration committee that includes a librarian, a teacher, an
administrator, and a parent. Materials under review stay on the shelves

and remain available to students while the review is pending. Decisions
cannot be based solely on disagreement with the ideas, viewpoints, or
identities represented in a work. Final appeals go to the board of
education, with further appeal available to the commissioner.

Library materials may be restricted by age or grade level. For materials
may be challenged based on obscenity, removal must be measured according
to the three prongs of the standard established in Miller v. California,
it must primarily appeal to the prurient interest, be patently offensive
in its content, and taken as a whole, clearly lack serious literary,
artistic, educational, political, or scientific value. Librarians and
staff cannot face discipline for selecting or retaining materials in
good-faith compliance with district policy. The commissioner, in consul-
tation with the state librarian, must develop regulations and may devel-
op model policies for districts to use. School library systems must
support districts in putting the law into practice and may provide
training and professional development to school personnel.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In recent years, school libraries have increasingly become targets of
organized efforts to restrict access to materials based on viewpoint,
identity, or political disagreement. These efforts are often framed as
concern or protection, but in practice they can function to remove
certain ideas or experiences from shared public spaces. Censorship rare-
ly announces itself openly. More often, it works through pressure and
uncertainty, exploiting unclear rules and fear of controversy.

This bill follows prior legislation addressing similar subject matter
and incorporates feedback raised during that process.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1 after it becomes law.

2025-S8630A - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8630--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. MAY, ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules --  recommitted
   to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
   --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
   and recommitted to said committee

 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.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 414-a to
 read as follows:
   § 414-A. SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS. 1.  (A)  EACH  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION
 SHALL  ADOPT  A WRITTEN POLICY FOR THE RECONSIDERATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARY
 MATERIALS. SUCH POLICY  SHALL  EXPLAIN:  (I)  HOW  COMPLAINTS  REGARDING
 LIBRARY  MATERIALS MAY BE SUBMITTED; (II) WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEW-
 ING COMPLAINTS; AND (III) HOW A FINAL DECISION IS MADE.
   (B) A POLICY ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL  INCLUDE  A  GENERAL TIMELINE FOR THE REVIEW PROCEDURE AND PROVIDE
 FOR THE CREATION OF A RECONSIDERATION  COMMITTEE  TO  REVIEW  COMPLAINTS
 REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS. SUCH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE SHALL
 BE  COMPOSED  OF  AT  LEAST ONE OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING, AND EACH WHICH
 SHALL BE AFFILIATED WITH THE RELEVANT SCHOOL  DISTRICT,  AND  MAY  BE  A
 STANDING  COMMITTEE  AT  THE DISCRETION OF THE DISTRICT: (I) A CERTIFIED
 LIBRARIAN OR LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST; (II) A TEACHER;  (III)  A  SCHOOL
 ADMINISTRATOR;  AND  (IV)  A  PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A CURRENT STUDENT IN
 SUCH DISTRICT.
   (C) A POLICY ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL FURTHER PROVIDE FOR A FINAL APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. SUCH
 POLICY  SHALL  ALSO  PROVIDE  NOTICE ON THE RIGHT TO FILE APPEALS TO THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14305-05-6

 S. 8630--A                          2
 
 COMMISSIONER PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED TEN OF THIS CHAPTER.  ALL
 DECISIONS  SHALL FOLLOW THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WRITTEN POLICIES AND SHALL
 NOT BE BASED SOLELY ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE IDEAS, VIEWPOINTS, OR IDEN-
 TITIES  REPRESENTED IN THE MATERIAL. SUCH POLICY SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE
 ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.
   2. NO LIBRARY MATERIAL SHALL BE REMOVED,  RESTRICTED,  SUPPRESSED,  OR
 PROHIBITED  IF  ONE  OF  THE MOTIVATING FACTORS IS DISAGREEMENT WITH THE
 THEMES, IDEAS, OR VIEWPOINTS EXPRESSED IN IT OR BECAUSE OF  THE  IDENTI-
 TIES OF THE AUTHOR, SUBJECT, OR CHARACTERS. REMOVAL OR RESTRICTION SHALL
 COMPLY  WITH  THE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT'S  ADOPTED POLICIES AND THE MATERIAL
 SHALL NOT BE REMOVED FROM ITS LOCATION  WITHIN  THE  LIBRARY  AND  SHALL
 REMAIN  AVAILABLE  TO  RESERVE,  CHECK  OUT, OR ACCESS WHILE IT IS UNDER
 REVIEW.
   3. LIBRARY MATERIAL MAY BE RESTRICTED TO AGE-APPROPRIATE GRADE  LEVELS
 BASED  ON  DEVELOPMENTAL  STANDARDS,  BUT  NO  LIBRARY MATERIAL SHALL BE
 REMOVED, RESTRICTED, SUPPRESSED, OR PROHIBITED UNLESS, AS TO THE  OLDEST
 GRADE  LEVEL  SERVED BY THE LIBRARY, IT MEETS THE STANDARD FOR OBSCENITY
 ESTABLISHED IN MILLER V. CALIFORNIA, 413 U.S.  15  (1973),  SPECIFICALLY
 THAT IT:
   (A) PRIMARILY APPEALS TO THE PRURIENT INTEREST;
   (B) IS PATENTLY OFFENSIVE IN ITS DEPICTION OF SEXUAL CONDUCT; AND
   (C) TAKEN AS A WHOLE, CLEARLY LACKS SERIOUS LITERARY, ARTISTIC, EDUCA-
 TIONAL, POLITICAL, OR SCIENTIFIC VALUE.
   4.  NO  LIBRARY  MEDIA  SPECIALIST OR OTHER SCHOOL EMPLOYEE SHALL FACE
 DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR SELECTING, RETAINING,  OR  RECOMMENDING  LIBRARY
 MATERIALS  IN REASONABLE RELIANCE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ADOPTED POLI-
 CIES. THIS SHALL NOT LIMIT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OR BOARD OF  EDUCATION'S
 GENERAL  SUPERVISORY  AUTHORITY  OVER  EMPLOYEES, AS LONG AS SUCH SUPER-
 VISION IS NOT BASED ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE VIEWPOINTS IN MATERIALS.
   5. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  STATE  LIBRARIAN  AND
 OTHER  STAKEHOLDERS,  SHALL PROMULGATE ANY REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL DEVELOP ONE OR MORE MODEL POLI-
 CIES FOR USE BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS. SUCH  REGU-
 LATIONS AND MODEL POLICIES SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND MAY NOT DIMINISH
 OR NARROW THE PROTECTIONS ESTABLISHED BY THIS SECTION.
   6.  (A) SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS, AS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
 HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, SHALL SUPPORT  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  IN
 IMPLEMENTING  THIS SECTION, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE IN ADOPTING POLICIES OR
 TAILORING MODEL POLICIES CONSISTENT  WITH  THIS  SECTION  AND  PROVIDING
 CONTINUING  EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SCHOOL LIBRARIANS,
 ADMINISTRATORS, AND DISTRICT  LEADERS  REGARDING  STATUTORY  OBLIGATIONS
 GOVERNING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS.
   (B)  SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE, TRAINING, OR PROFES-
 SIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND  SCHOOL  PERSONNEL  IN
 IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION, CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS, RESOURCES,
 AND OFFERINGS.
   §  3.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2025-S8630B - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9537
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §414-a, Ed L

2025-S8630B - Summary

2025-S8630B - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8630B

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
PURPOSE:

To affirm New York's commitment to intellectual freedom in public educa-
tion by protecting students' access to ideas, supporting the profes-
sional judgment of school librarians, and ensuring that challenges to
school library materials are handled through clear, fair, and transpar-
ent processes rather than political pressure or censorship.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The bill requires every school board to adopt a written policy for
handling complaints about library materials and post it publicly. The
policy must establish procedures for submitting complaints, a timeline
for review, a reconsideration committee, procedures governing the review

process, procedures for implementing removal or restriction decisions,
and notice of the right to appeal. The reconsideration committee must
include a librarian, a teacher, an administrator, a parent, and a
currently enrolled student. Materials under review remain available to
students through the conclusion of any appeal. No material may be
removed or restricted solely because of disagreement with its ideas,
viewpoints, or identities, or because of the identities of its author,
subject, or characters.

Librarians and staff cannot face discipline for selecting or retaining
materials in good-faith reliance on district policy. The commissioner
must develop regulations and advisory model policies, neither of which
may prescribe outcomes in individual cases or narrow the bill's
protections. School library systems must support districts in implement-
ing the law and may provide training and professional development to
school personnel.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In recent years, school libraries have increasingly become targets of
organized efforts to restrict access to materials based on viewpoint,
identity, or political disagreement. These efforts are often framed as
concern or protection, but in practice they can function to remove
certain ideas or experiences from shared public spaces. Censorship rare-
ly announces itself openly. More often, it works through pressure and
uncertainty, exploiting unclear rules and fear of controversy.

The Freedom to Read Act responds to this moment directly. It affirms
that decisions about school library materials should be guided by
professional standards and publicly adopted policies, not by political
pressure. It ensures that challenges to library materials are handled
through fair, transparent procedures that respect community input while
safeguarding access to ideas. It makes clear that materials cannot be
removed simply because someone disagrees with the ideas they express or
the identities they reflect.


Clear procedures matter because they make decisions predictable and
fair. They give families a defined way to raise concerns and ensure
those concerns are addressed consistently. They give educators guidance
they can rely on. And they reduce the risk that access to materials
turns on pressure, fear of controversy, or uneven treatment across
districts.

At the same time, this bill respects local governance. Boards of educa-
tion retain the authority to adopt policies and make final decisions.
Superintendents retain supervisory authority over staff.  The bill does
not mandate specific titles, viewpoints, or collections. It does not
impose unifonnity. Instead, it establishes a clear framework so disa-
greements are resolved through process rather than pressure.

The free flow of ideas is essential to a democratic society. Even in a
digital age, many of the ideas that shape how we understand the world
still reach us the same way they always have: as words on a page.
School libraries are one of the first places where young people encount-
er ideas outside an assignment, a classroom discussion, or an adult's
explanation. They are places where curiosity leads, where students
discover voices, histories, and perspectives they did not already know
to seek out.

That role matters. A democracy depends on citizens who can encounter
unfamiliar ideas, question them, and think critically about what they
mean. That process is not always comfortable. But discomfort is some-
times necessary for developing the mind. Exposure to ideas is not indoc-
trination. Inquiry is not a threat. Students do not become thoughtful
participants in civic life by being shielded from complexity, but by
learning how to engage it.

New York has long recognized this. Our state has a deep tradition of
opposing censorship and insisting that ideas be met with discussion
rather than suppression. That tradition lives in our public libraries,
our schools, and our respect for academic freedom. School librarians are
trained professionals whose work is not simply custodial, but inten-
tional. They build collections that support literacy, learning, and
intellectual growth, guided by professional standards and an understand-
ing of their school communities. Their role is central to education and
deserves clarity, respect, and protection.

New York's students deserve access to knowledge, not narrowed shelves.
Librarians deserve the ability to do their work without fear. Schools
deserve guidance that reduces conflict rather than inflaming it. This
bill advances all three.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This bill follows prior legislation addressing similar subject matter
and incorporates feedback raised during that process.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1 after it becomes law.

2025-S8630B - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8630--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. MAY, GOUNARDES, MYRIE, ROLISON, SALAZAR, STAVISKY --
   read  twice  and  ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
   the Committee on Rules -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in
   accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as
   amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 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. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  414-a  to
 read as follows:
   §  414-A.  SCHOOL  LIBRARY  MATERIALS.  1. (A) EACH BOARD OF EDUCATION
 SHALL ADOPT A WRITTEN POLICY FOR THE RECONSIDERATION OF  SCHOOL  LIBRARY
 MATERIALS  AND SHALL MAKE SUCH POLICY AVAILABLE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S
 WEBSITE.   SUCH POLICY SHALL INCLUDE AT A  MINIMUM,  BUT  SHALL  NOT  BE
 LIMITED TO:
   (I)  PROCEDURES  FOR HOW COMPLAINTS REGARDING LIBRARY MATERIALS MAY BE
 SUBMITTED;
   (II) A TIMELINE FOR THE REVIEW OF A CHALLENGED LIBRARY MATERIAL;
   (III) PROVISIONS FOR THE CREATION OF A  RECONSIDERATION  COMMITTEE  TO
 REVIEW COMPLAINTS REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS;
   (IV)  PROCEDURES OUTLINING THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR A CHALLENGED LIBRARY
 MATERIAL, CONSISTENT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION;
   (V) PROCEDURES FOR REMOVING OR RESTRICTING LIBRARY MATERIALS FOLLOWING
 A FINAL DECISION THAT  SUCH  LIBRARY  MATERIALS  SHOULD  BE  REMOVED  OR
 RESTRICTED TO CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A TIME-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14305-09-6
 S. 8630--B                          2

 
 LINE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE REMOVAL OR RESTRICTION DECISION OF A RECONSID-
 ERATION COMMITTEE; AND
   (VI)  PROCEDURES  FOR  PROVIDING  NOTICE  TO AN AGGRIEVED PARTY OF THE
 RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOLLOWING A DECISION MADE BY A
 RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE, AND OF THE RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE COMMISSION-
 ER PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED TEN OF  THIS  CHAPTER  FOLLOWING  A
 DECISION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
   (B)  (I)  EACH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO PARA-
 GRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE COMPOSED OF AT LEAST ONE OF  EACH
 OF  THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, AND EACH SUCH MEMBER SHALL BE AFFILIATED WITH
 THE RELEVANT SCHOOL DISTRICT:   (1) A  CERTIFIED  LIBRARIAN  OR  LIBRARY
 MEDIA  SPECIALIST;  (2)  A  TEACHER;  (3)  A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR; (4) A
 PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A CURRENT STUDENT IN  SUCH  DISTRICT;  AND  (5)  A
 STUDENT CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN SUCH DISTRICT.
   (II)  EACH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE SHALL ISSUE A WRITTEN RECOMMENDA-
 TION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A)  OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (III)  A  RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE MAY BE A STANDING COMMITTEE AT THE
 DISCRETION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   (IV)  MEMBERS  OF  A  RECONSIDERATION  COMMITTEE  SHALL  BE   ANNUALLY
 APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
   (C)  ALL  DECISIONS  OF  A  RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE SHALL FOLLOW THE
 SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WRITTEN POLICIES ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A)  OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
   2. (A) NO LIBRARY MATERIAL SHALL BE REMOVED OR RESTRICTED BASED SOLELY
 ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE IDEAS, VIEWPOINTS, OR IDENTITIES REPRESENTED IN
 SUCH LIBRARY MATERIAL OR BECAUSE OF THE IDENTITIES OF SUCH LIBRARY MATE-
 RIAL'S AUTHOR, SUBJECT, OR CHARACTERS.
   (B)  ANY  LIBRARY  MATERIAL  SUBJECT  TO  REVIEW  BY A RECONSIDERATION
 COMMITTEE SHALL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO RESERVE, CHECK OUT, OR ACCESS  PEND-
 ING  A  DECISION BY SUCH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE AND ANY APPEAL OF THE
 SAME.
   3. NO LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST OR OTHER  SCHOOL  EMPLOYEE  SHALL  FACE
 DISCIPLINARY  ACTION  FOR  SELECTING, RETAINING, OR RECOMMENDING LIBRARY
 MATERIALS IN REASONABLE RELIANCE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ADOPTED  POLI-
 CIES.  SUCH REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT LIMIT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OR BOARD OF
 EDUCATION'S GENERAL SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY OVER EMPLOYEES, PROVIDED  SUCH
 SUPERVISION  IS NOT BASED ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE VIEWPOINTS IN MATERI-
 ALS.
   4. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  STATE  LIBRARIAN  AND
 OTHER  STAKEHOLDERS,  SHALL PROMULGATE ANY REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL DEVELOP ONE OR MORE MODEL POLI-
 CIES FOR USE BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS. SUCH  REGU-
 LATIONS  SHALL BE LIMITED TO CARRYING OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION
 AND SHALL NOT PRESCRIBE  OR  REQUIRE  SPECIFIC  OUTCOMES  IN  INDIVIDUAL
 RECONSIDERATION  DECISIONS. SUCH REGULATIONS AND MODEL POLICIES SHALL BE
 CONSISTENT WITH AND SHALL NOT DIMINISH OR NARROW THE PROTECTIONS  ESTAB-
 LISHED BY THIS SECTION. MODEL POLICIES DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDI-
 VISION  SHALL  BE  ADVISORY IN NATURE AND MAY BE ADOPTED, IN WHOLE OR IN
 PART, OR ADAPTED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS CONSISTENT WITH THIS SECTION.
   5. (A) SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS, AS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION  TWO
 HUNDRED  EIGHTY-TWO  OF  THIS CHAPTER, SHALL SUPPORT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN
 IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE IN ADOPTING POLICIES  OR
 TAILORING  MODEL  POLICIES  CONSISTENT  WITH  THIS SECTION AND PROVIDING
 CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SCHOOL  LIBRARIANS,
 S. 8630--B                          3
 
 ADMINISTRATORS,  AND  DISTRICT  LEADERS  REGARDING STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS
 GOVERNING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS.
   (B)  SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE, TRAINING, OR PROFES-
 SIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND  SCHOOL  PERSONNEL  IN
 IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION, CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS, RESOURCES,
 AND OFFERINGS.
   §  3.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9537
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §414-a, Ed L

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8630C

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
PURPOSE:

To affirm New York's commitment to intellectual freedom in public educa-
tion by protecting students' access to ideas, supporting the profes-
sional judgment of school librarians, and ensuring that challenges to
school library materials are handled through clear, fair, and transpar-
ent processes rather than political pressure or censorship.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The bill requires every school board to adopt a written policy for
handling complaints about library materials and post it publicly. The
policy must establish procedures for submitting complaints, a timeline
for review, a reconsideration committee, procedures governing the review

process, procedures for implementing removal or restriction decisions,
and notice of the right to appeal. The reconsideration committee must
include a librarian, a teacher, an administrator, a parent, and a
currently enrolled student. Materials under review remain available to
students through the conclusion of any appeal. No material may be
removed or restricted solely because of disagreement with its ideas,
viewpoints, or identities, or because of the identities of its author,
subject, or characters.

Librarians and staff cannot face discipline for selecting or retaining
materials in good-faith reliance on district policy. The commissioner
must develop regulations and advisory model policies, neither of which
may prescribe outcomes in individual cases or narrow the bill's
protections. School library systems must support districts in implement-
ing the law and may provide training and professional development to
school personnel.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In recent years, school libraries have increasingly become targets of
organized efforts to restrict access to materials based on viewpoint,
identity, or political disagreement. These efforts are often framed as
concern or protection, but in practice they can function to remove
certain ideas or experiences from shared public spaces. Censorship rare-
ly announces itself openly. More often, it works through pressure and
uncertainty, exploiting unclear rules and fear of controversy.

The Freedom to Read Act responds to this moment directly. It affirms
that decisions about school library materials should be guided by
professional standards and publicly adopted policies, not by political
pressure. It ensures that challenges to library materials are handled
through fair, transparent procedures that respect community input while
safeguarding access to ideas. It makes clear that materials cannot be
removed simply because someone disagrees with the ideas they express or
the identities they reflect.  Clear procedures matter because they make
decisions predictable and fair. They give families a defined way to
raise concerns and ensure those concerns are addressed consistently.
They give educators guidance they can rely on. And they reduce the risk
that access to materials turns on pressure, fear of controversy, or
uneven treatment across districts.

At the same time, this bill respects local governance. Boards of educa-
tion retain the authority to adopt policies and make final decisions.
Superintendents retain supervisory authority over staff.  The bill does
not mandate specific titles, viewpoints, or collections. It does not
impose uniformity. Instead, it establishes a clear framework so disa-
greements are resolved through process rather than pressure.

The free flow of ideas is essential to a democratic society. Even in a
digital age, many of the ideas that shape how we understand the world
still reach us the same way they always have: as words on a page.
School libraries are one of the first places where young people encount-
er ideas outside an assignment, a classroom discussion, or an adult's
explanation. They are places where curiosity leads, where students
discover voices, histories, and perspectives they did not already know
to seek out.

That role matters. A democracy depends on citizens who can encounter
unfamiliar ideas, question them, and think critically about what they
mean. That process is not always comfortable. But discomfort is some-
times necessary for developing the mind. Exposure to ideas is not indoc-
trination. Inquiry is not a threat. Students do not become thoughtful
participants in civic life by being shielded from complexity, but by
learning how to engage it.  New York has long recognized this. Our state
has a deep tradition of opposing censorship and insisting that ideas be
met with discussion rather than suppression. That tradition lives in our
public libraries, our schools, and our respect for academic freedom.
School librarians are trained professionals whose work is not simply
custodial, but intentional. They build collections that support litera-
cy, learning, and intellectual growth, guided by professional standards
and an understanding of their school communities. Their role is central
to education and deserves clarity, respect, and protection.

New York's students deserve access to knowledge, not narrowed shelves.
Librarians deserve the ability to do their work without fear. Schools
deserve guidance that reduces conflict rather than inflaming it. This
bill advances all three.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This bill follows prior legislation addressing similar subject matter
and incorporates feedback raised during that process.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
December 1 after it becomes law.

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8630--C
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. MAY, GOUNARDES, KAVANAGH, LIU, MYRIE, ROLISON, SALA-
   ZAR,  STAVISKY, SUTTON, ZELLNER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules --  recommitted
   to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
   --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
   and recommitted  to  said  committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as
   amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 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. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  414-a  to
 read as follows:
   §  414-A.  SCHOOL  LIBRARY  MATERIALS.  1. (A) EACH BOARD OF EDUCATION
 SHALL ADOPT A WRITTEN POLICY FOR THE RECONSIDERATION OF  SCHOOL  LIBRARY
 MATERIALS  AND SHALL MAKE SUCH POLICY AVAILABLE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S
 WEBSITE.   SUCH POLICY SHALL INCLUDE AT A  MINIMUM,  BUT  SHALL  NOT  BE
 LIMITED TO:
   (I)  PROCEDURES  FOR HOW COMPLAINTS REGARDING LIBRARY MATERIALS MAY BE
 SUBMITTED;
   (II) A TIMELINE FOR THE REVIEW OF A CHALLENGED LIBRARY MATERIAL;
   (III) PROVISIONS FOR THE CREATION OF A  RECONSIDERATION  COMMITTEE  TO
 REVIEW COMPLAINTS REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS;
   (IV)  PROCEDURES OUTLINING THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR A CHALLENGED LIBRARY
 MATERIAL, CONSISTENT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION;
   (V) PROCEDURES FOR REMOVING OR RESTRICTING LIBRARY MATERIALS FOLLOWING
 A FINAL DECISION BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT SUCH  LIBRARY  MATERIALS

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14305-13-6

 S. 8630--C                          2
 
 SHOULD  BE  REMOVED OR RESTRICTED TO CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS, INCLUDING BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO A TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE  REMOVAL  OR  RESTRICTION
 RECOMMENDATION OF A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE; AND
   (VI)  PROCEDURES  FOR  PROVIDING  NOTICE  TO AN AGGRIEVED PARTY OF THE
 RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF  EDUCATION  FOLLOWING  A  RECOMMENDATION
 MADE  BY  A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE, AND OF THE RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE
 COMMISSIONER PURSUANT TO SECTION  THREE  HUNDRED  TEN  OF  THIS  CHAPTER
 FOLLOWING A DECISION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
   (B)  (I)  EACH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO PARA-
 GRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE COMPOSED OF AT LEAST ONE OF  EACH
 OF  THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, AND EACH SUCH MEMBER SHALL BE AFFILIATED WITH
 THE RELEVANT SCHOOL DISTRICT:   (1) A  CERTIFIED  LIBRARIAN  OR  LIBRARY
 MEDIA  SPECIALIST;  (2)  A  TEACHER;  (3)  A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR; (4) A
 PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A CURRENT STUDENT IN SUCH DISTRICT; AND (5)  WHERE
 POSSIBLE,  A  STUDENT  CURRENTLY  ENROLLED IN SUCH DISTRICT, UNLESS SUCH
 DISTRICT DOES NOT OPERATE A HIGH SCHOOL.
   (II) EACH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE SHALL ISSUE A WRITTEN  RECOMMENDA-
 TION  IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (III) A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE MAY BE A STANDING COMMITTEE  AT  THE
 DISCRETION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   (C)  ALL  RECOMMENDATIONS  OF A RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE SHALL FOLLOW
 THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WRITTEN POLICIES ADOPTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A)
 OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   2. (A) NO LIBRARY MATERIAL SHALL BE REMOVED OR RESTRICTED BASED SOLELY
 ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE IDEAS, VIEWPOINTS, OR IDENTITIES REPRESENTED IN
 SUCH LIBRARY MATERIAL OR BECAUSE OF THE IDENTITIES OF SUCH LIBRARY MATE-
 RIAL'S AUTHOR, SUBJECT, OR CHARACTERS.
   (B) ANY LIBRARY  MATERIAL  SUBJECT  TO  REVIEW  BY  A  RECONSIDERATION
 COMMITTEE  SHALL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO RESERVE, CHECK OUT, OR ACCESS PEND-
 ING A RECOMMENDATION BY SUCH RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE AND ANY APPEAL OF
 THE SAME.
   3. NO LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST OR OTHER  SCHOOL  EMPLOYEE  SHALL  FACE
 DISCIPLINARY  ACTION  FOR  SELECTING, RETAINING, OR RECOMMENDING LIBRARY
 MATERIALS IN REASONABLE RELIANCE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ADOPTED  POLI-
 CIES.  SUCH REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT LIMIT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OR BOARD OF
 EDUCATION'S GENERAL SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY OVER EMPLOYEES, PROVIDED  SUCH
 SUPERVISION  IS NOT BASED ON DISAGREEMENT WITH THE VIEWPOINTS IN MATERI-
 ALS.
   4. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  STATE  LIBRARIAN  AND
 OTHER  STAKEHOLDERS,  SHALL PROMULGATE ANY REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL DEVELOP ONE OR MORE MODEL POLI-
 CIES FOR USE BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS. SUCH  REGU-
 LATIONS  SHALL BE LIMITED TO CARRYING OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION
 AND SHALL NOT PRESCRIBE  OR  REQUIRE  SPECIFIC  OUTCOMES  IN  INDIVIDUAL
 RECONSIDERATION  DECISIONS MADE BY BOARDS OF EDUCATION. SUCH REGULATIONS
 AND MODEL POLICIES SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH AND SHALL  NOT  DIMINISH  OR
 NARROW  THE  PROTECTIONS  ESTABLISHED  BY  THIS  SECTION. MODEL POLICIES
 DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE ADVISORY IN  NATURE  AND
 MAY  BE  ADOPTED,  IN  WHOLE  OR IN PART, OR ADAPTED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
 CONSISTENT WITH THIS SECTION.
   5. (A) SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS, AS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION  TWO
 HUNDRED  EIGHTY-TWO  OF  THIS CHAPTER, SHALL SUPPORT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN
 IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE IN ADOPTING POLICIES  OR
 TAILORING  MODEL  POLICIES  CONSISTENT  WITH  THIS SECTION AND PROVIDING
 CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SCHOOL  LIBRARIANS,
 S. 8630--C                          3
 
 ADMINISTRATORS,  AND  DISTRICT  LEADERS  REGARDING STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS
 GOVERNING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS.
   (B)  SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE, TRAINING, OR PROFES-
 SIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND  SCHOOL  PERSONNEL  IN
 IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION, CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS, RESOURCES,
 AND OFFERINGS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of December next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
 sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S8630C

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Current Bill Status - Passed Senate & Assembly

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Jun 2, 2026 - Floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 2, 2026

May 19, 2026 - Education Committee Vote

Education Committee Vote: May 19, 2026

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630 - Details

2025-S8630 - Summary

2025-S8630 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8630 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630A - Details

2025-S8630A - Summary

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2025-S8630A - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630B - Details

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2025-S8630B - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8630B - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - Passed Senate & Assembly

Actions

Votes

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630 - Details

2025-S8630 - Summary

2025-S8630 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8630 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2025-S8630A - Details

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co-Sponsors

2025-S8630B - Details

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co-Sponsors

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8630C (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments