An act CONCERNING KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE FIVE 10 LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas          As Engrossed: H3/12/25 H3/31/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                      A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                          HOUSE BILL 1646

4

5 By: Representative McGrew

6 By: Senator M. McKee

7

8                            For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT CONCERNING KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE FIVE

10  LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS; TO REQUIRE CERTAIN MATERIALS

11  TO BE STORED IN LOCKED COMPARTMENTS WITHIN A

12  DESIGNATED AREA; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

13

14

15                                         Subtitle

16                       TO REQUIRE CERTAIN MATERIALS TO BE

17                       STORED IN LOCKED COMPARTMENTS WITHIN A

18                       DESIGNATED AREA.

19

20 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

21

22  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 25, Subchapter 1, is amended

23 to add an additional section to read as follows:

24  6-25-107. Certain materials limited.

25  (a) A library media center located in a public school building that is

26 configured as an elementary school and in which kindergarten through grade

27 five (K-5) students are enrolled shall store non-age-appropriate sexual

28 content, including without limitation a book or other resource that is

29 located in the library media center that is available to the public, in a

30 locked compartment within a designated area.

31  (b) A library media center located in a public school building that is

32 configured as an elementary school and in which kindergarten through grade

33 five (K-5) students are enrolled shall not allow a student enrolled in the

34 school to view or check out a book or other resource that concerns non-age-

35 appropriate sexual content and that is stored in a locked compartment within

36 a designated area unless the library media center receives prior written

    *TNL128*                                                     03-31-2025 12:02:58 TNL128
    As Engrossed: H3/12/25 H3/31/25                                        HB1646

1 approval from the student's parent, legal guardian, or person standing in

2 loco parentis to the student.

3         (c)(1) An allegation that an individual knowingly failed to comply

4 with this section for the first time shall be documented by the principal of

5 the public school at which the individual is employed and by the

6 superintendent of the public school district in which the individual is

7 employed.

8            (2) A public school principal and public school district

9 superintendent may suspend an individual who is found to have knowingly

10 failed to comply with this section for a maximum of five (5) days without

11 pay.

12        (d)(1) An allegation that an individual knowingly failed to comply

13 with this section a second time shall be referred to the Professional

14 Licensure Standards Board by filing a formal complaint.

15           (2) The board may suspend the teaching license of an individual

16 who is found to have knowingly failed to comply with this section a second

17 time.

18        (e) If an individual is found to have knowingly failed to comply with

19 this section a third time, the board shall revoke the individual's teaching

20 license.

21 (f) As used in this section, "non-age-appropriate sexual content" means any

22 materials that include explicit instruction, promotion, or advocacy of sexual

23 ideology, behaviors, or orientations that are not developmentally appropriate

24 for kindergarten through grade five (K-5) students.

25

26                                   /s/McGrew

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

                                     2                  03-31-2025 12:02:58 TNL128