S.B. No. 13 seeks to strengthen parental rights concerning access to school library materials and the formation of local school library advisory councils. The bill amends the Education Code to grant parents access to records of library materials their children check out from school libraries. It also introduces definitions for terms such as "harmful material," "indecent content," and "profane content," which will help establish standards for library materials. Additionally, the legislation requires school districts to adopt procedures that allow parents to restrict their child's access to specific library materials and mandates transparency in library catalogs.

The bill further outlines a structured challenge and appeal process for library materials, enabling parents, district employees, and residents to submit written challenges. School districts are required to forward any challenges to their local school library advisory council within five days, which must then provide a recommendation within 90 days. During this review process, student access to the challenged materials is prohibited. If a material is ultimately removed from the library catalog, the board of trustees must inform relevant teachers to remove copies from their classrooms. The implementation of these provisions is set for the 2025-2026 school year, emphasizing community values and parental involvement in school library management.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 26.004, Education Code 33.021 (Education Code 33, Education Code 26)