This section lets a school district create a local school library advisory council, and in some cases requires one. If a council exists, the district and council must follow specific rules for recommendations, meetings, records, and posting.
Sec. 33.025. LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), the board of trustees of each school district may establish a local school library advisory council to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school library catalog in the district. A school district that does not establish a local school library advisory council must ensure that the district's procedures for adding or removing library materials to or from a school library catalog comply with: (1) the library standards approved under Section 33.021; and (2) the meeting requirements under Subsections (g) and (h). (b) The board of trustees of a school district shall establish a local school library advisory council if the parents of at least 10 percent of the students enrolled in the district or 50 or more parents of students enrolled in the district, whichever is fewer, present to the board a petition to establish a local school library advisory council. A council established under this subsection may not be abolished until the third anniversary of the date on which the council was established. (c) Except as provided by Section 33.026(f), a school district that establishes a local school library advisory council must consider the recommendations of the local school library advisory council before: (1) adding library materials to a school library catalog; (2) removing library materials from a school library catalog following a challenge under Section 33.027; or (3) making changes to policies or guidelines related to a school library catalog. (d) The local school library advisory council's duties include recommending: (1) policies and procedures for the acquisition of library materials consistent with local community values; (2) to the board of trustees whether library materials proposed for acquisition under Section 33.026 are appropriate for each grade level of the school or campus for which the library materials are proposed to be acquired; (3) if feasible, joint use agreements or strategies for collaboration between the school district and local public libraries and community organizations; (4) the removal of any library materials that the council determines to be harmful material or material containing indecent content or profane content that is inconsistent with local community values or age appropriateness; (5) the policies and procedures for processing challenges received under Section 33.027; and (6) the action to be taken by the district in response to a challenge received under Section 33.027. (e) Any recommendation made by the local school library advisory council must adhere to the library standards approved under Section 33.021. (f) The local school library advisory council must consist of at least five members, with each member appointed by the board of trustees, and with each trustee appointing an equal number of members. A majority of the voting members of the council must be persons who are parents of students enrolled in the district and who are not employed by the district. One of those members shall serve as chair of the council. The board of trustees may also appoint one or more persons to serve as nonvoting members of the council from any of the following groups: (1) classroom teachers employed by the district; (2) librarians employed by the district; (3) school counselors certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, employed by the district; (4) school administrators employed by the district; (5) the business community; and (6) the clergy. (g) The local school library advisory council shall meet at least two times each year and at other times as necessary to fulfill the council's duties under this subchapter. For each meeting, the council shall: (1) at least 72 hours before the meeting: (A) post notice of the date, hour, place, and subject of the meeting on a bulletin board in the central administrative office of each campus in the school district; and (B) ensure that the notice required under Paragraph (A) is posted on the district's Internet website, if the district has an Internet website; (2) prepare and maintain minutes of the meeting that state the subject and content of each deliberation and each vote, order, decision, or other action taken by the council during the meeting; (3) make an audio or video recording of the meeting; and (4) not later than the 10th day after the date of the meeting, submit the minutes and audio or video recording of the meeting to the district. (h) As soon as practicable after receipt of the minutes and audio or video recording under Subsection (g)(4), the school district shall post the minutes and audio or video recording on the district's Internet website, if the district has an Internet website. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1126 (S.B. 13), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2025.