LCO No. 885 1 of 2
General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 523
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 885
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
SEN. DUFF, 25th Dist.
SEN. MAHER, 26th Dist.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE CURATION AND RETENTION OF
LITERARY MATERIALS CONTAINED IN PUBLIC AND SCHOOL
LIBRARIES AND LEGAL PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO LIBRARIANS
AND STAFF WORKING IN SUCH LIBRARIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
That the general statutes be amended to (1) prohibit public and school 1
libraries from excluding or censoring books because of the origin, 2
background or views of the material or of its authors, or solely because 3
a person finds such books offensive; (2) require local school boards and 4
the governing bodies of public libraries to set up policies for book 5
curation and the removal of library materials, including a way to 6
address concerns over certain items; (3) provide a librarian and other 7
library staff member with immunity from criminal and civil liability 8
arising from good faith actions performed pursuant to state law; and (4) 9
provide a civil cause of action to a librarian and other library staff 10
member for emotional distress, defamation, libel, slander, damage to 11
reputation or any other relevant tort, against any person who harasses 12
a librarian or library staff member from compliance with state law. 13 Proposed Bill No. 523
LCO No. 885 2 of 2
Statement of Purpose:
To protect state residents by prohibiting public and school libraries from
censoring books and providing librarians and other library staff
members with legal protections, including immunity from criminal and
civil liability, for carrying out work-related duties in accordance with
state law.