This bill aims to amend and enact various provisions in the North Dakota Century Code concerning public libraries, school districts, and state agencies, particularly focusing on the protection of minors from explicit sexual material. It introduces a new definition of "public library" and mandates that public libraries and school districts develop policies to ensure that explicit sexual material is not accessible to minors. The bill also requires these entities to implement safety policies and technology protection measures for digital resources offered to students, ensuring that such resources do not allow access to obscene content. Additionally, it establishes a compliance reporting requirement to the legislative management.

The bill includes amendments to existing definitions and provisions related to obscenity control, specifically clarifying what constitutes explicit sexual material and the responsibilities of public libraries and school districts in managing their collections. It introduces a review process by the local state's attorney for any alleged violations of the new regulations, with penalties for non-compliance, including the withholding of funds allocated to non-compliant entities. Overall, the legislation seeks to enhance the oversight and regulation of materials accessible to minors in public libraries and educational institutions.

Statutes affected:
INTRODUCED: 12.1-27.1-01, 12.1-27.1-03.1, 12.1-27.1-03.5, 12.1-27.1-11
Adopted by the Senate Judiciary Committee: 12.1-27.1-01, 12.1-27.1-03.1, 12.1-27.1-03.5, 12.1-27.1-11
FIRST ENGROSSMENT: 12.1-27.1-01, 12.1-27.1-03.1, 12.1-27.1-03.5, 12.1-27.1-11
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Representative Paulson: 12.1-27.1-01, 12.1-27.1-03.1, 12.1-27.1-03.5, 12.1-27.1-11
SECOND ENGROSSMENT: 12.1-27.1-01, 12.1-27.1-03.1, 12.1-27.1-03.5, 12.1-27.1-11