Below is an official press release announcing the final passage of legislation to protect librarians in public schools and public libraries from harassment by people intent on censorship. You can also watch my remarks on the Senate floor during debate last November.
Massachusetts Legislature Acts to Protect Free Expression, Guard Against Political Book Bans
Bill aims to prevent political bias in library decisions, protect librarians from reprisals
(BOSTON—7/31/2026) Today the Massachusetts Legislature took action to protect freedom of thought and expression in Massachusetts schools and public libraries and safeguard open access to books and other educational materials.
As school and public libraries nationally are increasingly faced with politically-charged debates over banning access to particular library books, the bill—An Act regarding free expression, S.2696—creates clear guidelines for how schools and libraries decide which books to make available, and how local leaders determine whether a book is appropriate or should be removed from the shelf.
“Today this Legislature took action protect values we hold so dear: the freedom to create, to think for oneself, to explore our world through books and art, and pass our American legacy of free expression to our children and grandchildren,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “As our residents’ constitutional rights face attacks at every turn from the federal government, this legislation protects the freedom to read a book of one’s choice in order to learn and grow, free of political bias. I applaud Senator Cyr and Senator Oliveira for their leadership, all my Senate colleagues for their support, and thank our colleagues in the House for getting this to the Governor’s desk.”
“As Republican politicians across the country work to remove books from schools that don’t fit their strict ideological world view, this legislation is representative of the Commonwealth’s commitment to ensuring that our schools remain a place where learning is valued above all else, and where students are exposed to the experiences of people from all walks of life,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Chair Garballey, Representative Moran, and Representative Scanlon for their hard work on this bill, as well as all my colleagues in the House, and our partners in the Senate, for recognizing the need for these vital protections.”
“The bill we send to the Governor’s desk today is a bold statement against the dystopian attempts to ban books in our schools and public libraries,” said Senator Julian Cyr (D-Provincetown), the lead Senate sponsor of the bill. “Massachusetts is not immune from politically motivated attempts at censorship, and violent threats against librarians have brought real harm to our communities. With this legislation, we safeguard everyone’s right to intellectual discovery, while protecting the people who make our libraries and schools such vibrant places of curiosity and possibility. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Senate President Karen Spilka for her unwavering resolve to defend these values and our residents; to Senator Jake Oliveira for his partnership in this effort; to my House colleagues Rep Sean Garballey, Rep John Moran, and Rep Adam Scanlon; and to the scores of librarians and authors who made this bill possible. Today’s action sends a clear message — in Massachusetts, we don’t ban books, we champion them.”
“Every person and student within the Commonwealth deserves access to a strong and diverse selection of books professionally curated and set by national standards, not dictated by ideology or politics,” said Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. “By ensuring librarians are protected when performing their duties, the Legislature today does its job in protecting what we pioneered here — the ability to freely access books and information in an ever-expanding world. I want to thank Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz, Chair Domb, Senator Cyr, and the sponsors of the legislation in both chambers for their dedication to passing this milestone bill.”
“Today is a great day for our librarians, our students, and all those committed to the fundamental principle of intellectual freedom,” said Representative John Francis Moran (D-Boston), House sponsor of the bill. “At a time when the loudest and most extreme voices too often dominate, this bill helps ensure that libraries will remain quiet spaces where curiosity is encouraged, knowledge is accessible, and free expression is protected across the Commonwealth.”
“I am proud that the Legislature is voting today to pass a bill protecting free expression and the freedom to read in libraries across Massachusetts,” said Representative Adam J. Scanlon (D-North Attleborough), House sponsor of the bill. “The First Amendment protects the free exchange of ideas, and students do not shed those rights at the schoolhouse gate. Protecting access to a broad range of ideas ensures that our libraries remain places where people can read, learn, and think for themselves.”
“Libraries are among the last truly open spaces where every person can discover new ideas, encounter different perspectives, and see themselves reflected in the stories that shape our communities,” said Senator Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow). “This legislation protects the freedom to read by ensuring that decisions about library collections are guided by professional expertise, not political pressure or personal ideology. At a time when intellectual freedom is increasingly being challenged, Massachusetts is reaffirming that access to knowledge, diverse viewpoints, and free expression are essential to a healthy democracy. I was proud to work alongside Senator Cyr, the Senate President, and our legislative colleagues to advance this important law and ensure that our libraries remain welcoming places for every learner, every family, and every community.”
The details of the legislation are below:
Sets Expectations for School Library Materials. Ensures students have free and open access to library books and other school library materials by establishing clear standards for library teachers and other employees to follow as they select school library materials. Requires that school library materials be age-appropriate, serve an educational purpose, and be chosen based on a teacher or employee’s professional training—leaving aside any of their own personal, political, or doctrinal views that could affect whether or not they place the book on the shelf.
Requires Local Districts to Craft Policies. Requires all school districts, charter schools, and local education agencies to adopt their own policies on how to select library materials. All policies must align with American Library Association standards. Directs the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Massachusetts Library System to share sample policies and make resources available to help local school committees and other school library administrators create or revise their own policies.
Sets the Threshold for Removing a Book. Guards against spurious or unfounded challenges to school library books by keeping a book in question on the shelves unless and until a public hearing process has taken place and the appropriate authority has voted to remove it. Limits who can initiate a challenge to school staff, parents or guardians, and students. Standardizes a patchwork of local practices by laying out the process for authorities to respond to a book challenge and prescribing the threshold that must be met for an authority to remove it. After publishing a notice and holding a public hearing, a review committee of local school personnel would decide whether the material is devoid of educational, literary, artistic, personal, or social value, or whether the material is not age-appropriate for any student. The local school committee would then vote on whether to remove the challenged material. A student, parent, or guardian could contest the school committee’s decision to remove library materials by challenging the decision in court.
Offers Assistance to Municipal Public Libraries. Directs the Board of Library Commissioners to provide resources to assist local public libraries in developing policies that cover the selection and use of library materials, the development of library collections, and the process to respond to any challenges to remove or restrict access to books and other materials. Requires such policies to include a statement that library materials shall not be selected, proscribed, or removed based on personal, political, or doctrinal disapproval or bias.
Provides Opportunities for Appeals. Allows authors, creators, and residents of the city or town to appeal decisions to remove materials from the city or town’s local public library. The appeals would be filed in Superior Court.
Holds Librarians Harmless. Protects school employees and public librarians from professional, civil, or criminal penalties based on their selection of library materials. Prohibits the revocation of professional certification or department-issued professional license on the basis of the employee’s selection of library materials, provided that the decision was made in good faith and in accordance with the school’s library materials policy. Prohibits the local district from taking other adverse actions against the employee for such professional decisions, including dismissal, discipline, probation, or involuntary transfer.
Collects Data from Schools and Public Libraries. Requires the Board of Library Commissioners to collect data on challenges to books and other educational materials in libraries around the state and file an annual report with the Legislature. Requires school districts, charter schools, and local education agencies to submit a report to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on challenges to school library materials, and the outcomes of those challenges.
My floor speech