A 5416 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Relates to enacting the "books save lives act"

This bill requires public school libraries receiving state aid to maintain collections of diverse books meeting specific criteria, directly affecting schools and library systems that rely on state funding. It defines "diverse books" as those featuring characters from underrepresented communities (including racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, religious minorities, and people with disabilities) and mandates that libraries include materials written by or about these groups. The bill also requires school boards to approve any permanent removal of library materials based on educational suitability - not public pressure - and adds a new requirement that libraries must adopt the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights or create a formal policy banning book removals to continue receiving state aid. These provisions aim to ensure student access to inclusive materials while protecting libraries from politically motivated removals.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 14, 2025 Last action Jan 7, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO LIBRARIES AND EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO LIBRARIES AND EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Phara Souffrant Forrest
Phara Souffrant Forrest
DDemocratic
NY
57