The Federal Book Ban Bills
Congress is considering four bills that would put Washington in charge of what students and families can find on library shelves. They take different routes, but they arrive at the same place: fewer books, narrower collections, and educators second-guessing every title.
We do not have to guess how this plays out. Several states have already passed laws with similar language, and their school libraries show us what a federal version would do nationwide.
This is why we are asking you to speak up on September 24. Here is what each bill does, and what we have already seen where similar policies are in place.
H.R. 7661/S. 4925
The language in H.R. 7661/S. 4925 would broadly restrict federally funded schools from providing access to materials that meet its definition of “sexually oriented material.” Florida’s experience with similar state-level policies provides one example of the potential administrative and educational effects of broad material restrictions. More than 6,000 unique book titles have been called into question in Florida public schools over the past five school years. District responses have included denying students access to AP-recommended literature in the library, reducing library purchases, narrowing collections, and adopting more restrictive selection practices, while also creating administrative and financial burdens.
H.R. 8705
H.R. 8705 would place restrictions on how recipients of federal funding for history and civics education address topics involving race, sex, gender, and historical interpretation. When DODEA schools were issued a directive to ensure their libraries were in compliance with similar language, Americans got a very clear picture of whose stories and histories were targeted for removal. Outrage ensued, and some corrections were offered, but this illustrates the broader question of how federally prescribed approaches to complex historical subjects can affect educators’ professional judgment and local decision-making.
H.R. 2616
Texas provides a preview of how broad restrictions involving gender-affirming content can affect school libraries. Katy ISD removed 142 LGBTQ+ themed books from school libraries in January 2026. The collection included fiction, memoirs and teen health guides. The district said the removals were connected to compliance with Texas laws and “prohibited content.” In some cases, educators and librarians have also reported avoiding LGBTQ+ themed materials because of uncertainty about what might trigger scrutiny. The situation in Texas illustrates how broad federal restrictions can have effects beyond formally prohibited materials—potentially narrowing collections and discouraging educators from providing students with books that help them understand themselves, their peers, and the world around them.
Vote for the Freedom to Read
Families and communities make different decisions about what is right for their children, and that is how it should be. What one family chooses not to read should not determine what another family is allowed to read.
The First Amendment keeps politicians from deciding what Americans may read. Parents, educators, librarians, and communities are the right people to make those decisions, not Washington.
November offers voters two pathways. One that bans books and takes away freedoms. The other that leaves decisions about books in the hands of the people. We are voting for the path that safeguards the freedom to read and upholds democracy.
If you believe the freedom to read is worth protecting, join us on September 24 and take action.