SB 24-049

Senate Bill 24-049 in Colorado sets up a process for students, parents, and community members to challenge materials in school or public libraries. If someone objects to a library resource, it must be reviewed by a committee appointed by the superintendent for schools or the director of a public library chosen by the board of trustees. The bill ensures that challenged resources cannot be removed until they are evaluated, and library staff can refuse to remove them if they believe doing so conflicts with the law or policy. Additionally, the bill prohibits discrimination in how materials are selected or displayed in libraries. Since it has been signed into law, this process is now active for schools and public libraries across Colorado.

Official Summary

The bill establishes a process by which a student, parent, or member of the community may object to a library resource in a school or public library. Each library resource that is reconsidered pursuant to the process must be evaluated based on standards applied by a committee for school libraries and a director of a public library. Members of the committee for school libraries are appointed by the superintendent of the school district, and the committee covers reconsideration requests in all schools in the district. For public libraries, the director is selected by the library's board of trustees and covers the library or libraries in the library district. A library resource may not be removed while a request for reconsideration is pending. A principal, librarian, media specialist, other employee, contractor, or volunteer may refuse a directive to remove a library resource if such an individual has a good faith belief that the directive conflicts with law or policy established pursuant to the bill, and such an individual may not be subjected to retaliation. The bill prevents the state board of education from waiving the requirements of the bill as they are applied to public schools, district charter schools, and institute charter schools. The bill specifies that it is a discriminatory practice and unlawful for anyone to discriminate against anyone in the selection, retention, reconsideration, or display of a library resource. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

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