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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

AB 657

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: prohibiting certain restrictions by state agencies and local governmental units on access to books and other media and prohibiting public funding for a library, school, or institution of higher learning that has certain restrictions on access to books and other media.

Colleges and universities County — Finance Libraries Municipality — Finance Parochial and private schools School — Administration State agencies Technical college University of wisconsin

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Assembly, not reached
  3. Passes Senate, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill provides that no library, public or private elementary or secondary

school, or institution of higher education is eligible for receipt of state or local funds

if the entity prohibits, bans, or unreasonably restricts access to any book or other

media based upon 1) partisan or doctrinal disapproval or 2) the origin, background,

or views of those contributing to the creation of the book or other media. The bill also

provides that no state agency or local governmental unit may prohibit, ban, or

unreasonably restrict access to any book or other media on these bases. The

provisions of the bill do not apply to any age-based restriction on obscene or

pornographic material and do not apply to prison libraries operated by the

Department of Corrections; libraries in jails, Type 1 juvenile correctional facilities,

juvenile detention facilities, or secured residential care centers for children and

youth; or libraries in institutions operated by the Department of Health Services.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Baldeh (D) , Bare (D) , Clancy (D) , Conley (D) , Considine (D) , Drake (D) , Emerson (D) , Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Madison (D) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Ohnstad (D) , Palmeri (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Shelton (D) , Sinicki (D)

5 cosponsors

Agard (D) , Billings (D) , Hesselbein (D) , Roys (D) , Smith (D)

Full history

  1. Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Emerson, Considine, Sinicki, Ohnstad, Conley, Bare, Shelton, Ratcliff, Clancy, Baldeh, Joers, Palmeri, Drake, Moore Omokunde, Madison and Jacobson; cosponsored by Senators Roys, Hesselbein, Agard and Smith

  2. Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs

  3. Nov 29, 2023 · Assembly

    Representative Billings added as a coauthor

  4. Apr 15, 2024 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1