Bill would protect access to school and public library materials

School districts, charter schools, employees, and volunteers would be barred from limiting pupils’ access to school library materials in specified ways. The rules cover school library materials and pupils’ access to them. Reasonable time, place, or manner limits, steps to protect materials, and content-neutral removal of damaged, duplicative, rarely used, obsolete, or policy-inconsistent materials would remain allowed. A court could order removal only after finding material obscene. Only a district resident who is a parent or guardian of a pupil at the school could petition. The bill says it would take effect upon passage and approval; the Governor vetoed it.

Public library governing bodies, employees, and municipalities would be barred from limiting people’s access to public library materials in specified ways. The rules cover public library materials and access by any person. Reasonable time, place, or manner limits, steps to protect materials, and content-neutral removal of damaged, duplicative, rarely used, obsolete, or policy-inconsistent materials would remain allowed. A court could order removal only after finding material obscene. Only a resident of the municipality served by the library could petition. The bill says it would take effect upon passage and approval; the Governor vetoed it.

The Board of Regents could adopt a policy protecting students’ and employees’ access to university library materials. This concerns libraries at Nevada System of Higher Education institutions and access by their students and employees. The policy would allow reasonable access limits, steps to protect materials, and content-neutral upkeep. Only an enrolled student or institution employee could petition a court, and a court could order removal only after finding material obscene. The bill says it would take effect upon passage and approval; the Governor vetoed it.

People who use threats or coercion to block library access, or make certain retaliatory disclosures of personal information, would face category E felony penalties. The provisions concern school, university, and public library users, governing members, employees, and school volunteers identified in the bill. Threats or coercion must be intended to block access or force covered officials or staff to violate the applicable access rules. A disclosure must be without consent and retaliatory, and must meet the stated intent and serious-harm or fear conditions related to death, bodily injury, or stalking. The bill says it would take effect upon passage and approval; the Governor vetoed it.