August 03, 2026 - Legislature Passes ‘Freedom to Read’ Bill

On July 31, 2026, the Massachusetts Legislature passed An Act regarding free expression, S.3241 which 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."

Attempts to restrict access to library materials and services through challenges in Massachusetts public libraries have increased. In Massachusetts, historically there have been few if any attempts to censor library materials each year but according to data collected by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), formal challenges to library materials, programs, and services have increased by 50% since FY2023.

This trend reflects national data collected by the American Library Association (ALA) which has tracked a sharp surge in censorship attempts since 2021 with a record high in 2023 of 1,247 attempts nationally. ALA ties the spike to organized movements and reports that 72% of attempts to censor books now come from pressure groups and government entities.

"Today is a win for everyone in Massachusetts," said Nora Blake, Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of Massachusetts Library Association. "Political agendas should not decide what materials are in our libraries or dictate what each of us can read. Thank you to librarians and library workers who have been on the front lines of this issue for years; who in the face of words of hate, harassment, and threats, responded with constructive action. They have testified, developed inclusive policies, and supported each other and patrons who felt attacked. This legislation allows them to do their jobs without fear of retaliation or violence. We thank the legislature, especially Senators Julian Cyr and Jake Oliviera and Representatives Sean Garballey, John Moran, and Adam Scanlon."

Senator Cyr (D-Provincetown) was the lead Senate sponsor of the bill and Representatives John Francis Moran (D-Boston) and Adam J. Scanlon (D-North Attleborough) sponsored the bill in the House.

Governor Healey has until August 14 to sign the bill.

Details of the legislation are as follows:

• 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 or parents, guardians, and students, who reside in the city or town where the library is located
  • 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, taken as a whole, 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 with appeals 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.

About MBLC

The Board of Library Commissioners (mass.gov/mblc) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board advises municipalities and library trustees on the operation and maintenance of public libraries, including construction and renovation. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional library systems and automated resource sharing. It also works to ensure that all residents of the Commonwealth, regardless of their geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability or cultural background, have access to essential new electronic information technologies and significant electronic databases.