Enacts the freedom to read act, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1099
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. MAY, COMRIE, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, WEBB -- read twice
   and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
   on Libraries
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the  "freedom
   to read act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "freedom to read act".
   § 2. Section 276 of the education law is amended to read as follows:
   § 276. Existing  rules continued in force.  All existing provisions of
 law and rules established by  the  commissioner  of  education  for  the
 management  of public school libraries shall hold good as to the manage-
 ment of such school libraries until altered by or in pursuance  of  law.
 SUCH  LAWS AND RULES ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER SHALL INCLUDE POLI-
 CIES TO ENSURE THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY  STAFF,  INCLUDING  BUT
 NOT  LIMITED  TO  CERTIFIED  LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS, ARE EMPOWERED TO
 CURATE AND DEVELOP COLLECTIONS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO  THE
 WIDEST  ARRAY  OF  DEVELOPMENTALLY  APPROPRIATE  MATERIALS  AVAILABLE TO
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
   § 3. Section 283 of the education law, as added by chapter 348 of  the
 laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
   § 283. Functions  of  school library systems.  The functions of school
 library systems shall include but not be limited to:  (a)  creating  and
 developing  a  union  catalog of materials listing the resources of each
 participating school library; (b) developing a plan which will aid  each
 participating  school library in cooperative collection development; (c)
 adopting and implementing an interlibrary loan policy and program  among
 participating  school  libraries;  (d)  assuring  a  method of effective
 delivery of library materials within the system; (e) promoting  develop-
 ment  programs  and  continuing  education  for  staff  of participating
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03534-01-5
 S. 1099                             2
 
 schools; (f) encouraging awareness of the resources and services  avail-
 able in participating school libraries; [and] (g) cooperating with other
 library  systems  in  resource  sharing and other activities[.]; AND (H)
 ENSURING  THAT  SCHOOL  LIBRARIES  AND  LIBRARY STAFF, INCLUDING BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO CERTIFIED LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS, ARE EMPOWERED TO  CURATE
 AND  DEVELOP COLLECTIONS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO THE WIDEST
 ARRAY OF DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO  PARTICIPAT-
 ING SCHOOLS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.