A 4859: 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.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4859 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY 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: 1 Section 1. Section 273 of the education law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 12 to read as follows: 3 12. No library or library system shall receive state aid pursuant to 4 this section unless such library or library system adopts the American 5 Library Association's Library Bill of Rights that indicates materials 6 should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal 7 disapproval or, in the alternative, develop a written statement prohib- 8 iting the practice of banning books or other materials within the 9 library or library system. A library or library system shall adopt such 10 Bill of Rights or develop such written statement within ninety days of 11 the effective date of this subdivision. 12 § 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