Bill > HB3005

This bill establishes a formal process for the reconsideration of materials, including digital content, in public libraries and public school libraries. It defines "digital library material" broadly to include e-books, audiobooks, databases, and streaming content accessible through the library, and "material" to encompass printed works, visual media, recordings, and stored computer data. The bill mandates that libraries and school districts create publicly available policies outlining how formal requests or complaints about materials can lead to "reconsideration," which could result in "relocation" (moving materials to a different section) or removal of materials or access to digital content. To initiate a reconsideration request, an individual must have read the entire challenged material and either be a resident of the library's taxing district with a library card or a parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled in the school district. The bill also requires an appeals process for reconsideration decisions, limits reconsideration of the same material to once every two years unless a longer period is established by policy, and outlines procedures for reinstating materials. For digital materials, it specifies that databases aggregating periodicals can have content removed at the title, issue, or article level, but this curation cannot be applied at an individual user level. Importantly, librarians and library staff are protected from disciplinary action for refusing to remove materials before they have been reviewed according to the established policy.