Tex. Educ. Code § 33.021 · Subchapter B. LIBRARIES
LIBRARY STANDARDS.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) In this section, "sexually explicit material" means any communication, language, or material, including a written description, illustration, photographic image, video image, or audio file, other than library material directly related to the curriculum required under Section 28.002(a), that describes, depicts, or portrays sexual conduct, as defined by Section 43.25, Penal Code, in a way that is patently offensive, as defined by Section 43.21, Penal Code.
(b) The Texas State Library and Archives Commission, in consultation with the State Board of Education, shall adopt voluntary standards for school library services, other than collection development, that a school district shall consider in developing, implementing, or expanding library services.
(c) The Texas State Library and Archives Commission, with approval by majority vote of the State Board of Education, shall adopt standards for school library collection development that a school district shall adhere to in developing or implementing the district's library collection development policies.
(d) The standards adopted under Subsection (c) must:
(1) be reviewed and updated at least once every five years; and
(2) include a collection development policy that:
(A) prohibits the possession, acquisition, and purchase of:
(i) harmful material;
(ii) library material rated sexually explicit material by the selling library material vendor;
(iii) library material that is pervasively vulgar or educationally unsuitable as referenced in Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982);
(iv) library material containing indecent content or profane content; or
(v) library material that refers a person to an Internet website containing content prohibited under this subsection, including by use of a link or QR code, as defined by Section 443.001, Health and Safety Code;
(B) recognizes that obscene content is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution;
(C) is required for all library materials available for use or display, including material contained in school libraries, classroom libraries, online catalogs, library mobile applications, and any other library catalog a student may access;
(D) recognizes that parents are the primary decision makers regarding a student's access to library material;
(E) encourages schools to provide library catalog transparency;
(F) recommends schools communicate effectively with parents regarding collection development;
(G) prohibits the removal of material based solely on the:
(i) ideas contained in the material; or
(ii) personal background of:
(a) the author of the material; or
(b) characters in the material; and
(H) demonstrates a commitment to compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (Pub. L. No. 106-554), including through the use of technology protection measures, as defined by that Act.
(e) A school district may adopt local policies and procedures in addition to the standards adopted under Subsection (c) that do not conflict with the standards adopted under that subsection or other requirements of this code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 808 (H.B. 900), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 204 (H.B. 1620), Sec. 6.004, eff. September 1, 2025.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1126 (S.B. 13), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.33.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 ad433bf596f2dcdf0674e5f227ef4be2c5493e1da7c8890ddca53b77a67b9529
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Health and Safety Code
Cited by 4 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Educ. Code § 33.021. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Education Code
- Tex. Educ. Code § 33.025LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL.Printed as Section 33.021
- Tex. Educ. Code § 33.026ACQUISITION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS.Printed as Section 33.021
- Tex. Educ. Code § 33.027CHALLENGE OR APPEAL REGARDING LIBRARY MATERIALS; LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS.Printed as Section 33.021
- Tex. Educ. Code § 35.001DEFINITIONS.Printed as Section 33.021
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.