Assembly Bill A4859

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Prohibits the banning of books or other materials by libraries or library systems

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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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2025-A4859 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Libraries And Education Technology
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §273, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A7878

2025-A4859 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the banning of books or other materials by libraries or library systems; provides that no library or library system shall receive state aid unless such entity adopts the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights that indicates materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval or develops a written statement prohibiting the practice of banning books or other materials.

2025-A4859 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4859
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
   LEVENBERG, SIMON --  read  once  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
   Libraries and Education Technology
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law,  in relation to prohibiting the
   banning of books or other materials by libraries or library systems

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 273 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 12 to read as follows:
   12.  NO  LIBRARY OR LIBRARY SYSTEM SHALL RECEIVE STATE AID PURSUANT TO
 THIS SECTION UNLESS SUCH LIBRARY OR LIBRARY SYSTEM ADOPTS  THE  AMERICAN
 LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION'S  LIBRARY  BILL OF RIGHTS THAT INDICATES MATERIALS
 SHOULD NOT BE PROSCRIBED OR REMOVED BECAUSE  OF  PARTISAN  OR  DOCTRINAL
 DISAPPROVAL  OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, DEVELOP A WRITTEN STATEMENT PROHIB-
 ITING THE PRACTICE OF  BANNING  BOOKS  OR  OTHER  MATERIALS  WITHIN  THE
 LIBRARY  OR LIBRARY SYSTEM. A LIBRARY OR LIBRARY SYSTEM SHALL ADOPT SUCH
 BILL OF RIGHTS OR DEVELOP SUCH WRITTEN STATEMENT WITHIN NINETY  DAYS  OF
 THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08554-01-5

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