Legislative Update

June 4, 2025

Freedom to Read Bill Passes the General Assembly

Moves to the Governor for Signature!

June 3rd the Connecticut State Senate passed Senate Bill 1271 - An Act Concerning School and Public Libraries. The House passed the bill on June 2nd. We are thrilled!

SB 1271 was inserted into the biennial budget bill early Monday. This bill requires school and public libraries to have a collection development and maintenance policy, a library program and display policy, and a reconsideration policy. Each school district and public library board will create these policies, but there is some language that is mandated in the bill. 

CASL will continue to work with our partners CLA and the CLC to create model policies and implement this bill. Stay tuned for more information.

Joint Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian Farber, brian@monumentsquare.llc
Phone: 917-568-5066 

 CT Library Leaders Applaud Passage of Freedom to Read, S.B. 1271
Urge Governor Lamont to Sign Freedom to Read Bill Into Law

MIDDLETOWN, Conn.– June 4, 2025 – Connecticut’s leading library organizations applaud today the General Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill 1271, calling it a critical step toward preserving free expression, protecting local decision-making, and ensuring that library shelves remain open to everyone. The legislation was included in Connecticut’s fiscal year budget bill, which passed both the State House and Senate.

The Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC), Connecticut Library Association (CLA), and the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL) now urge Governor Ned Lamont to sign the legislation into law.

“This bill gives us what every community deserves: clarity, fairness, and trust,” said Ellen Paul, Executive Director of the Connecticut Library Consortium. “This bill protects a library’s ability to carry books like the Bible as much as it protects books about gender identity. It puts books by conservative authors side-by-side with liberal points of view. It’s not about who’s right, but the right to be heard, the right to think, and the right to choose in the safety of our libraries.”

S.B. 1271 requires public and school libraries to adopt clear, written policies outlining how materials are selected and how challenges to those materials are handled. The process must be locally governed, open to residents, parents, students, and school staff, and follow a fair, transparent process. Earlier provisions that raised concerns, such as language about defamation lawsuits, were removed during public negotiations.

“We’ve seen too many headlines across the country about books disappearing from shelves because one group shouted the loudest,” said Scott Jarzombek, President of the Connecticut Library Association. “This bill says, ‘Not here.’ Connecticut communities deserve thoughtful, consistent policies, not reactive and performative politics.”

“School libraries have always been spaces where students can explore the world and begin to understand themselves,” said Val DiLorenzo, President of CASL. “That doesn’t mean every book is right for every reader, but it does mean students deserve the chance to choose with guidance, not censorship.”

Materials under scrutiny often deal with real-life topics, consent, identity, mental health, and personal safety, that many young people and adults are already navigating, often without context. The bill ensures that decisions about those materials happen within communities, not through blanket bans, online, or nationally-motivated campaigns.

Key Provisions of S.B. 1271

• No book removed just for being offensive. The law makes clear that a book cannot be pulled solely because someone disagrees with it. Challenges must cite educational or professional concerns.

• Local voices matter. Only town residents, parents, students, or school staff can file formal challenges—and they must do so in writing.

• Protects library staff. Librarians following board-approved policy cannot be sued or harassed simply for doing their jobs.
  Materials stay available during review. Books remain on shelves until the challenge process is complete.

• Policies must be public and inclusive. Every library must publish its collection policy, ensuring collections serve diverse populations and do not discriminate.

About the Connecticut Library Consortium
The Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC) is a state-mandated nonprofit organization that supports, strengthens, connects, and champions Connecticut libraries. CLC provides purchasing contracts, professional development, and other value-added services for its 1,000+ public, academic, school and special library members, and promotes libraries as fundamental to a literate, equitable, and just society. Learn more at https://www.ctlibrarians.org.

About the Connecticut Library Association
The Connecticut Library Association (CLA) is a professional organization committed to improving library services across the state and promoting equal access to information for all residents. Learn more:https://ctlibraryassociation.org.

About the Connecticut Association of School Librarians
The Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL) represents K–12 library media specialists working to help students become lifelong learners and critical thinkers. Learn more:https://casl.wildapricot.org.

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