Oklahoma 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB397 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 05/01/2023

                             
 
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ENGROSSED HOUSE AMENDME NT 
 TO 
ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO . 397 By: Hamilton, Burns, Jett, and 
Bullard of the Senate 
 
  and 
 
  Conley of the House 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to schools; directing school district 
boards of education and charter school and public 
library governing boards t o appoint certain committee 
by certain date; requiring certain employee to be 
included on committee; requiring certain inventory to 
be completed by certain date ; directing designati on 
of print and nonprint materials and media ; directing 
school districts and charter schools beginning on 
certain date to only include certain materials and 
media with certain designations in certain school 
libraries; allowing students access to certain 
materials and media only with certain written 
consent; directing public libra ries beginning on 
certain date to place materials and media with 
certain designation in certain section; allowing 
certain individuals access to cer tain materials and 
media only with certain written consent; prohibiting 
school district, charter school, and public libraries 
beginning on certain date from including materials 
and media with certain content; providing for 
codification; providing an effective date; and 
declaring an emergency. 
 
 
 
 
AUTHOR:  Add the following House coauthors:  Hardin, Olsen, Gann, 
Humphrey, West (Rick), Maynard, Kane, Banning, and 
Crosswhite Hader 
 
 
 
AMENDMENT NO. 1.  Page 1, Line 20, delete SECTION 1 in its entirety 
and replace with a new SECTION 1 to read as 
follows:   
 
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"SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     Section 1, Chapter 106, O.S.L. 
2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 11 -201), is amended to read as 
follows: 
Section 11-201. A. As school library me dia center resources 
are finite, the library media program shall be reflective of the 
community standards for the population the librar y media center 
serves when acquiring an age-appropriate collection of print 
materials, nonprint materials, multimedia res ources, equipment, and 
supplies adequate in quality and quan tity to meet the needs of 
students in all areas of the school library media program. 
B.  To ensure appropriate compliance with this section, the 
Oklahoma Department of Libraries shall develop uniform procedures to 
be approved by the Legislature and adopted by school districts for 
the review and acquisition of collection materials.  It shall be the 
duty of each school distric t to enforce the provisio ns of this 
section.  The procedures shall be develop ed by the Oklahoma 
Department of Libraries and a dopted by each school district no later 
than July 1, 2024. 
C.  The Oklahoma Department of L ibraries shall submit the 
adopted procedures to the Speaker of the House of Representatives , 
or a designee, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate , or a 
designee, prior to the last thirty (30) days of the legislat ive 
session. By adoption of a joint resolution, the Le gislature shall 
approve the procedures, disapprove the procedures in whole or in   
 
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part, amend the procedures in whole or in part or disapprove the 
procedures in whole or in part with instructions to the Oklahoma 
Department of Libraries, provided that such j oint resolution becomes 
law in accordance with Section 11 of Article VI of the Oklahoma 
Constitution.  If the joint resolution is vetoed by the Governor in 
accordance with Section 11 of Article VI of t he Oklahoma 
Constitution and the veto has not been over ridden, the procedures 
shall be deemed approved. If the Legislature fails to adopt a joint 
resolution within thirty (30) legislative days following submission 
of the procedures, the procedures shall be deemed approved. 
D.  If the procedures are disapproved in whole or are 
disapproved in whole with instructions as provided for in this 
section, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries may adopt new 
procedures and submit the new procedures for legislative review 
pursuant to this section.  If the procedures are amended, approved 
in part or are disapproved in part with instructions, the Oklahoma 
Department of Libraries may revise the procedures in accordance with 
the legislative changes and implement the procedures. 
E.  Upon final approval of the procedures, the standards shall 
be considered final agency rules.  The Oklahoma Department of 
Libraries shall submit a copy of the procedures to the Secretary of 
State, who shall inc lude the procedures in the publication known as 
the "Oklahoma Administrative Code " in the same manner as agency 
rules are published in the "Code" as provided for in the   
 
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Administrative Procedures Act. All procedures approved and 
published as provided for i n this subsection shall have the same 
force and effect of law as agency rules promulgated pur suant to the 
Administrative Procedures Act." 
and renumber subsequent sections 
 
and amend title to conform 
 
Passed the House of Representatives the 27th day of April, 2023. 
 
 
 
 
  
Presiding Officer of th e House of 
 	Representatives 
 
 
Passed the Senate the ____ day of __________, 2023. 
 
 
 
 
  
Presiding Officer of the Senate 
   
 
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ENGROSSED SENATE 
BILL NO. 397 	By: Hamilton, Burns, Jett, and 
Bullard of the Senate 
 
  and 
 
  Conley of the House 
 
 
 
An Act relating to schools; directing school district 
boards of education and charter school and public 
library governing boards t o appoint certain committee 
by certain date; requiring certain employee to be 
included on committee; requiring certain inventory to 
be completed by certain date; directing designati on 
of print and nonprint materials and media ; directing 
school districts and charter schools beginning on 
certain date to only inc lude certain materials and 
media with certain designations in certain school 
libraries; allowing students access to certain 
materials and media only with certain written 
consent; directing public libra ries beginning on 
certain date to place materials and media with 
certain designation in certain section; allowing 
certain individuals access to certain materials and 
media only with certain written consent; prohibiting 
school district, charter school, and public libraries 
beginning on certain date from including materials 
and media with certain content; providing for 
codification; providing an effective date; and 
declaring an emergency. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 2.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statu tes as Section 11-203 of Title 70, unless there 
is created a duplication in numb ering, reads as follows: 
A. By September 1, 2023, each school district board of 
education, charter school governing bo dy, and public library   
 
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governing body shall appoint a committee to conduct an inventory of 
print and nonprint mat erials and media located in their libraries.  
A library media specialist employed by a school district or charter 
school shall be included on the committee.  The inventory shall be 
completed by July 1, 2024.  Print and nonprint materials and media 
shall be designated with one of the following ratings: 
1.  “Elementary” means the content of the print or nonprint 
material or media is suitable for children enrolled in grades pre-
kindergarten through five in this state; 
2. “Junior high” means the content of the print or nonprint 
material or media may not include material unsuitable for a child 
enrolled in grades six, seven, and eight in this state, and parents 
and legal guardians are e ncouraged to provide guidance to their 
children in selecting print and nonprint materials and media rated 
“junior high”; 
3.  “Under 16” means the content of the print or nonprint 
materials or media may not include material inappropria te for 
children under the age of sixteen (16), and parents and legal 
guardians are urged to provide guidance to their children in 
selecting print and nonprint materials and media rated “under 16”; 
and 
4.  “Juniors and seniors” means the content of the print or 
nonprint material or media may include some material not suitable 
for minors.   
 
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B.  Beginning July 1, 2024, school districts and charter schools 
shall: 
1.  Include only print and nonprint materials and media 
designated as “elementary” in elementary school libraries serving 
students in grades pre -kindergarten through five; 
2. Include only print and nonprint materials and media 
designated as “elementary” or “junior high” in elementary school 
libraries that serve students in grades pre-kindergarten through 
eight; 
3.  Include only print and nonprint materials and media 
designated as “elementary”, “junior high”, or “under 16” in junior 
high school and high school libraries; and 
4.  Place print and nonprint ma terials and media designated as 
“juniors and seniors” in a section of the library accessible only to 
librarians, teachers, and other school staff.  Print and nonprint 
materials and media designated as “juniors and seniors” shall only 
be available to a student if he or she has presented a librarian, 
teacher, or other school staff with written consent from a parent or 
legal guardian. 
C.  Beginning July 1, 2024, public libraries shall place print 
and nonprint materials and media designated as “juniors and seniors” 
in a section of the library accessible only to library staff.  Print 
and nonprint materials and media designated as “juniors and seniors” 
shall only be available to an individual under the age of eighteen   
 
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(18) if he or she has presented library staff with written consent 
from a parent or legal guardian . 
D.  Beginning July 1, 2024, no print or nonprint material or 
media in a school district library, charter school library, or 
public library shall include content that the average person age 
eighteen (18) or older applying contemporary community standards 
would find has a pred ominant tendency to appeal to a prurient 
interest in sex. 
SECTION 3.  This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. 
SECTION 4.  It being immediately ne cessary for the preservation 
of the public peace, health , or safety, an emergency is hereby 
declared to exist, by reason whe reof this act shall take effect and 
be in full force fro m and after its passage and ap proval. 
Passed the Senate the 7th day of March, 2023. 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate 
 
 
Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 
2023. 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives