The "Protection of School Library Materials Act" is a new piece of legislation enacted to establish guidelines for the management of library resources in public schools in New Mexico. The Act requires local school boards and charter school governing bodies to create and submit written policies regarding the acquisition, retention, display, and use of library resources by September 1, 2025. These policies must comply with constitutional protections of free speech and ensure that they do not discriminate against any protected class. Additionally, the Act outlines a formal process for the reconsideration of library resources, which can only be initiated by a parent of a student enrolled at the school.

The Act also includes provisions to protect library staff members from retaliation for their decisions regarding library resources. Specifically, staff cannot be terminated, demoted, or disciplined for refusing to remove a resource before it has undergone the established review process. The legislation emphasizes transparency by requiring that the reconsideration policies and final determinations be made available to the public. The effective date for the provisions of this Act is set for July 1, 2025.