Amends TCA Title 49.

ON APRIL 12, 2023, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 966, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to revise the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022. Under present law, by the 2022-2023 school year, each local board of education and public charter school governing body must adopt a policy for developing and reviewing school library collections. The policy must include:<br /> <br /> (1) A procedure for the development of a library collection at each school that is appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, and that is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school;<br /> <br /> (2) A procedure for the local board of education or public charter school governing body to receive and evaluate feedback from a student, a student's parent or guardian, or a school employee regarding one or more of the materials in the library collection of the student's or employee's school; and<br /> <br /> (3) A procedure to periodically review the library collection at each school to ensure that the school's library collection contains materials appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, and that is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school.<br /> <br /> This amendment changes (2) to require the LEA or public charter school to receive and evaluate feedback, instead of the local board of education or governing body. <br /> <br /> Under present law, a local board of education or public charter school governing body must evaluate each material for which feedback is provided according to the procedure established to determine whether the material is appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, and to determine whether the material is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school. If the local board of education or public charter school governing body determines that material contained in the school's library collection is not appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, or is not suitable for, or consistent with, the educational mission of the school, then the school must remove the material from the library collection.<br /> <br /> This amendment changes these provisions to provide that, only if an LEA or public charter school receives feedback on material and cannot reach a resolution on the material with the person who provided the feedback, then the local board of education of the public charter governing body must evaluate the material to determine whether it is appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access it and whether it is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school. This amendment revises the last sentence to require that if the LEA, public charter school, board of education, or governing body find the material to not be appropriate, then the school must remove the material.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 19, 2023, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 966 FOR HOUSE BILL 663, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 966, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 adds that a determination made by a local board of education or public charter school governing body that material contained in the school's library collection is not appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, or is not suitable for, or consistent with, the educational mission of the school, will trigger the requirement that the school remove the material from the library collection in the same manner as if the determination was made by an LEA or public charter school.<br />