Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
		By: Paxton
            S.B. No. 34
         
               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
            
               AN ACT
            
            relating to a school district's library materials and catalog, the 
         
            creation of local school library advisory councils, and parental 
         
            rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the 
         
            parent's child to library materials.
         
                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
                   SECTION 1.  Section 26.004(b), Education Code, is amended to 
         
            read as follows:
         
                   (b)  A parent is entitled to access to all written records of 
         
            a school district concerning the parent's child, including:
         
                         (1)  attendance records;
         
                         (2)  test scores;
         
                         (3)  grades;
         
                         (4)  disciplinary records;
         
                         (5)  counseling records;
         
                         (6)  psychological records;
         
                         (7)  applications for admission;
         
                         (8)  health and immunization information;
         
                         (9)  teacher and school counselor evaluations;
         
                         (10)  reports of behavioral patterns; [and]
         
                         (11)  records relating to assistance provided for 
         
            learning difficulties, including information collected regarding 
         
            any intervention strategies used with the child; and
         
                         (12)  records relating to school library materials the 
         
            child obtains from a school library.
         
                   SECTION 2.  Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding 
         
            Section 26.017 to read as follows:
         
                   Sec. 26.017.  NOTICE REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS.  
         
            (a)  Before each school year, a school district shall provide 
         
            written notice to a parent of each child enrolled in the district 
         
            regarding the option to receive notice each time the child obtains a 
         
            school library material from a school library in the district.
         
                   (b)  For each parent who elects to receive notice under 
         
            Subsection (a), the school district shall notify the parent by 
         
            e-mail each time the parent's child obtains a school library 
         
            material from a school library in the district.  The notice must 
         
            include, as applicable, the title, author, genre, and return date 
         
            of the school library material.
         
                   SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is 
         
            amended by adding Sections 33.026, 33.027, and 33.028 to read as 
         
            follows:
         
                   Sec. 33.026.  LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL.  (a)  
         
            The board of trustees of each school district shall establish a 
         
            local school library advisory council to assist the district in 
         
            ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school 
         
            library catalog in the district.
         
                   (b)  Except as provided by Section 33.027(d), a school 
         
            district must consider the recommendations of the local school 
         
            library advisory council before:
         
                         (1)  adding library materials to a school library 
         
            catalog;
         
                         (2)  removing library materials from a school library 
         
            catalog following a challenge under Section 33.028; or
         
                         (3)  making changes to policies or guidelines related 
         
            to a school library catalog.
         
                   (c)  The local school library advisory council's duties 
         
            include recommending:
         
                         (1)  policies and procedures for the acquisition of 
         
            library materials consistent with local community values;
         
                         (2)  library materials appropriate for each grade 
         
            level;
         
                         (3)  if feasible, joint use agreements or strategies 
         
            for collaboration between the school district and local public 
         
            libraries and community organizations;
         
                         (4)  the removal of any library materials that the 
         
            council determines to be:
         
                               (A)  harmful material or material containing 
         
            indecent content or profane content; or
         
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: Education Code 26.004 (Education Code 26)


	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to a school district's library materials and catalog, the
	creation of local school library advisory councils, and parental
	rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the
	parent's child to library materials.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 26.004(b), Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(b) A parent is entitled to access to all written records of
	a school district concerning the parent's child, including:
	(1) attendance records;
	(2) test scores;
	(3) grades;
	(4) disciplinary records;
	(5) counseling records;
	(6) psychological records;
	(7) applications for admission;
	(8) health and immunization information;
	(9) teacher and school counselor evaluations;
	(10) reports of behavioral patterns; [~~and~~]
	(11) records relating to assistance provided for
	learning difficulties, including information collected regarding
	any intervention strategies used with the child; and
	(12) records relating to school library materials the
	child obtains from a school library.
	SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding
	Section 26.017 to read as follows:
	Sec. 26.017. NOTICE REGARDING SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS.
	(a) Before each school year, a school district shall provide
	written notice to a parent of each child enrolled in the district
	regarding the option to receive notice each time the child obtains a
	school library material from a school library in the district.
	(b) For each parent who elects to receive notice under
	Subsection (a), the school district shall notify the parent by
	e-mail each time the parent's child obtains a school library
	material from a school library in the district. The notice must
	include, as applicable, the title, author, genre, and return date
	of the school library material.
	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 33.026, 33.027, and 33.028 to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 33.026. LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. (a)
	The board of trustees of each school district shall establish a
	local school library advisory council to assist the district in
	ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school
	library catalog in the district.
	(b) Except as provided by Section 33.027(d), a school
	district must consider the recommendations of the local school
	library advisory council before:
	(1) adding library materials to a school library
	catalog;
	(2) removing library materials from a school library
	catalog following a challenge under Section 33.028; or
	(3) making changes to policies or guidelines related
	to a school library catalog.
	(c) The local school library advisory council's duties
	include recommending:
	(1) policies and procedures for the acquisition of
	library materials consistent with local community values;
	(2) library materials appropriate for each grade
	level;
	(3) if feasible, joint use agreements or strategies
	for collaboration between the school district and local public
	libraries and community organizations;
	(4) the removal of any library materials that the
	council determines to be:
	(A) harmful material or material containing
	indecent content or profane content; or
	Statutes affected: Introduced: Education Code 26.004 (Education Code 26)