As the 2025 state legislative sessions start this week, EveryLibrary is tracking 26 bills that have been pre-filed in five states that would promote banning books or criminalize librarians and educators.
In 2024, over 120 negative bills were introduced across 29 states.
Texas leads the 2025 pre-file list with 14 anti-library and anti-reader bills, and Missouri, with its 4 negative bills.
In 2025, EveryLibrary is paying the most attention to state legislative initiatives in ten categories:
1. bills that would criminalize libraries, education, and museums (and/or the employees therein) by removing long-standing defense from prosecution exemptions under obscenity laws and/or expose librarians to civil penalties;
2. bills that change obscenity and "harmful to minors" definitions that preempt established First Amendment rights;
3. bills that would establish book rating systems, leading to segregation or expulsion of materials by topic or viewpoint;
4. bills that mandate restrictive library policies, esp. prescribing collection development or materials challenge policies;
5. bills that would limit access to school library databases;
6. bills that create onerous parental control/notification requirements that lead to segregated materials or limit free speech;
7.bills that limit or outlaw the teaching of "divisive concepts";
8. bills that lead to defunding or closure of libraries or politicization of library boards.
9.bills that limit funding or participation in professional library associations or drop accreditation requirements for professional librarians
10. bills that seek to de-professionalize librarianship through loosening or elimination of licensing/certification requirements
On a positive note, they are also tracking "right to read" bills that offer protections to libraries/librarians, as well as other positive bills.
In 2024, over 120 negative bills were introduced across 29 states.
Texas leads the 2025 pre-file list with 14 anti-library and anti-reader bills, and Missouri, with its 4 negative bills.
https://www.everylibrary.org/billtrac...
In 2025, EveryLibrary is paying the most attention to state legislative initiatives in ten categories:
1. bills that would criminalize libraries, education, and museums (and/or the employees therein) by removing long-standing defense from prosecution exemptions under obscenity laws and/or expose librarians to civil penalties;
2. bills that change obscenity and "harmful to minors" definitions that preempt established First Amendment rights;
3. bills that would establish book rating systems, leading to segregation or expulsion of materials by topic or viewpoint;
4. bills that mandate restrictive library policies, esp. prescribing collection development or materials challenge policies;
5. bills that would limit access to school library databases;
6. bills that create onerous parental control/notification requirements that lead to segregated materials or limit free speech;
7.bills that limit or outlaw the teaching of "divisive concepts";
8. bills that lead to defunding or closure of libraries or politicization of library boards.
9.bills that limit funding or participation in professional library associations or drop accreditation requirements for professional librarians
10. bills that seek to de-professionalize librarianship through loosening or elimination of licensing/certification requirements
On a positive note, they are also tracking "right to read" bills that offer protections to libraries/librarians, as well as other positive bills.