NY State Senate Bill 2023-S9324

Senate Bill S9324

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Prohibits libraries and library systems from banning books or other materials based on partisan or doctrinal disapproval

download bill text pdf

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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 13, 2024	referred to libraries

2023-S9324 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8870
Current Committee:: Senate Libraries
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §286, Ed L

2023-S9324 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits libraries and library systems, including school libraries and school library systems from banning books or other materials based on partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

2023-S9324 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9324

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting libraries
and library systems from banning books or other materials based on
partisan or doctrinal disapproval

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this legislation is to prohibit libraries and library
systems from banning books or other materials based on partisan or
doctrinal disapproval

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one adds Section 286 to the education law to prohibit libraries
and library systems from proscribing, banning, or removing any books or
other materials because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Section two sets an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Libraries are nexuses of enrichment for the community members and school
students that visit them. Unfortunately, book banning has dramatically
increased in libraries across the state and country in recent years.
When patrons and students use their local or school library, they should
be free to explore books that stimulate intellectual curiosity, provide
information on sensitive topics, and give voice to the lived experiences
of people with different beliefs and identities than their own. Recently
there has been a spate of complaints from a handful of individuals who
should not be in a position to limit access to reading materials for an
entire community. This legislation will protect libraries .from poli-
tical or doctrinal censorship so they may pursue their mission of
providing an educational and inclusive environment for all New Yorkers.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S9324 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9324
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 13, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- 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 prohibiting  libraries
   and  library  systems  from  banning books or other materials based on
   partisan or doctrinal disapproval
 
   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 286 to
 read as follows:
   §  286.  PROHIBITION  ON  BOOK  BANNING. NO LIBRARY, OR LIBRARY SYSTEM
 ESTABLISHED OR OPERATING UNDER THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING SCHOOL  LIBRARIES
 AND SCHOOL LIBRARY SYSTEMS, SHALL PROSCRIBE, BAN, OR REMOVE ANY BOOKS OR
 OTHER MATERIALS BECAUSE OF PARTISAN OR DOCTRINAL DISAPPROVAL.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13349-01-3

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.