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Bill

SB 13

Relating to a school district's library materials and catalog, the establishment of local school library advisory councils, and parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parent's child to library materials.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Paul Bettencourt and 21 co-sponsors

Texas law expands parental control over school library access, establishes local review councils, and creates procedures allowing parents to restrict their child's borrowing starting September 2025.

Effective on 9/1/25
#educationagency #texas(v9941) #education--primary&secondary--general(i0230) #education--schooldistricts(i0220) #electronicinformationsystems(i0311) #family--parent&child(i0355) #librarycollectiondevelopment&materials(se35p) #libraries&librarians(i0523) #parentalrights(s0095) #publicnotice(s0264) #purchasing--local(i0644) #statelibrary&archivescommission #texas(v0027)
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Bill Summary · SB 13

Legislative bill overview

SB 13 establishes local school library advisory councils in Texas school districts and grants parents expanded rights regarding their child's access to library materials. The bill requires districts to create these councils, implement procedures for parental notification and approval of library access, and establish processes for reviewing and potentially removing library materials.

Why is this important

This legislation directly affects what reading materials students can access in school libraries and gives parents significant control over their individual child's borrowing privileges. The implementation of advisory councils and review processes will require school districts to develop new policies and potentially alter their library cataloging and circulation systems, impacting library operations statewide.

Potential points of contention

  • Parental authority scope: The extent to which individual parents can restrict their child's library access versus district-wide policies raises questions about consistency, equity, and whether some students will have significantly different library privileges than peers
  • Material review standards: The bill's criteria for what constitutes inappropriate materials and who decides this (advisory councils vs. librarians vs. parents) could lead to conflicts between educational professionals' expertise and community/parental preferences
  • Implementation costs and burden: Creating advisory councils and developing new approval/notification systems will require administrative resources, and disputes over material removal could generate legal challenges and associated costs

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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