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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate2025-04-28

Vote Breakdown

Plain Language Summary

This bill establishes procedures for North Carolina public schools to review and approve library media (books, videos, and other materials) before they are available to students. It creates community library advisory committees to evaluate materials, allows parents and county residents to object to books, and permits parents, guardians, or county residents to sue schools for violations, including seeking $5,000 per violation plus attorney fees.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill gives parents a meaningful voice in what materials their children can access in school libraries, addressing concerns about age-inappropriate content.
• •They contend the bill protects students from sexually explicit or vulgar materials by establishing clear selection criteria based on age and developmental appropriateness, and that the public database of rejected materials increases transparency about school decisions.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents worry the bill could lead to censorship of educational materials and limit access to diverse perspectives and viewpoints.
• •They argue the $5,000-per-violation lawsuit provision and attorney fee awards may encourage frivolous challenges and could lead schools to remove books defensively rather than thoughtfully, and that the 10-objection threshold is low enough to trigger reviews of widely-accepted books that some community members simply disagree with personally.