H710: Library Bill

Wednesday, 4/10/24:

H710 was finally signed into law this morning. Read the governor’s transmittal letter here.

Wednesday, 4/3/24:

H710 reached the Senate floor this morning, on the last full day of the session. It was amended in the 14th Order to extend the time for libraries to consider relocation forms from 30 days to 60 days. Read my live Twitter thread here.

After an hour of debate, the bill passed 24-11 and heads to the governor’s desk.

Monday, 3/25/24:

Senate State Affairs sent the library bill to the amending order this morning.

Friday, 3/15/24:

H710 reached the House floor this week and saw vigorous debate. It passed 47-23 and now heads to the Senate.

Tuesday, 3/12/24:

The new library bill was debated in House State Affairs yesterday morning. Catch up with my live thread here. Rep. Crane explained that the new version of the bill used the national Miller Test language for the definition of harmful materials and also standardized the reconsideration form. The committee approved the new bill and sent it directly to the House floor on a party line vote. It was printed today as H710.

Idaho Freedom Foundation has given H710 a neutral rating.

Sunday, 3/10/24:

The agenda for House State Affairs for Monday 3/11/24 shows H384 and a new RS on the docket.

Thursday, 2/21/24:

S1289 was defeated on the Senate floor 17-18. Conservatives were concerned that the bill had become too watered down and was designed to protect libraries rather than children. The left believed that even this bill went too far.

Tuesday, 2/13/24:

Idaho Freedom Foundation has rated the bill -2.

Monday, 2/12/24:

Sen. Schroeder and Rep. Crane presented S1289 to Senate State Affairs this morning. Click here for my live thread on Twitter. The committee voted 6-3 to send it to the floor with a do pass recommendation, with Democrat Sens. Melissa Wintrow and James Ruchti joining Republican Sen. Ben Toews in opposing the bill.

Wednesday, 2/7/24:

Sen. Geoff Schroeder introduced RS 31181 in Senate State Affairs this morning. This is the combined bill that he worked on with Rep. Jaron Crane, so it is the successor bill to H384.

RS 31181 has been printed as Senate Bill 1289 and will begin its new journey on the Senate side.

Thursday, 1/18/24:

Before H384 was read for the third time and opened for debate, Rep. Brent Crane, chairman of House State Affairs, asked that without objection the bill be returned to his committee. He said that Rep. Jaron Crane and Sen. Geoff Schroeder (who has his own library bill on the Senate side) have reached a deal, and that the library associations are neutral on this new bill. I’ll share more details as they come.

Wednesday, 1/17/24:

H384 is set for 2nd reading in the House today. That means it should be debated and voted upon tomorrow. I noticed that Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder and House Speaker Mike Moyle are now listed on the bill as cosponsors, which suggests it will likely pass both chambers.

Monday, 1/15/24:

After an hour and a half of testimony, the House State Affairs Committee voted to send H384 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation. House vote should occur before the end of the week.

Friday, 1/12/24:

H384 is on the docket for House State Affairs on Monday morning at 9am. Follow the link to sign up to testify.

Thursday, 1/11/24:

Idaho Freedom Foundation has rated H384 +2.

Wednesday, 1/10/24:

Update: Rep. Crane’s bill was assigned as House Bill 384.

Update: RS 30874 was approved by House State Affairs on Wednesday morning and will be printed and given a bill number shortly.

Last session, Rep. Jaron Crane of Nampa introduced H139, a bill to keep harmful materials out of the hands of children in schools and libraries. It failed to pass the House Education Committee. Undeterred, he came back with H314, a slightly modified version of the same bill, and introduced it instead in House State Affairs.

H314 was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by Governor Brad Little, who was convinced that it would place “bounties” on librarians.

Today, Rep. Crane will introduce RS 30874 in House State Affairs. He issued a press release this morning:

Representative Ronald “Jaron” Crane

jcrane@house.idaho.gov

208-332-1059

RS30874 – Aims to restrict minor’s access to harmful materials.

Boise, Idaho – 1/10/2023 – Representative Ronald Jaron Crane is proud to announce the re- introduction of The Children and Library Protection Act – an important piece of legislation designed to address the issue of harmful materials in Community and School Libraries. This legislation marks a significant step towards crafting a policy that allows for both the material to remain in the library while at the same time restricting access to said material by minors and children.

The Children and Library Protection Act was introduced by Representative Ronald Jaron Crane because he believes in the importance of our Community and School Libraries; but even more so, the importance that the citizens of Idaho should know that when their children go to a Library, they should not have to worry about what materials their child might be exposed to. This legislation is a result of extensive research, collaboration with experts in the field, and a commitment to creating positive, necessary change for all Idahoans.

Key Features of The Children and Library Protection Act:

1. Local Control: This legislation allows for Library Boards to implement local community standards as a “reasonable step” to secure materials deemed harmful to minors by Idaho Code 18-1515.
2. No Book Banning: This legislation does not ban any materials. Libraries can curate whatever materials their community supports, but they implement policies to secure materials from minors based upon local community standards. If an adult patron chooses to check out those materials, they have every right to.
3. No Frivolous Lawsuits: This legislation requires a patron to submit a 30 day “request for relocation” form to the library asking for a book to be re-located to a section in the library designated for adults only. If the Library does so, that is the end. If they do not, then a Citizen has the right to challenge that in Court if they desire. The maximum penalty in a lawsuit is set at $250.00.

Representative Crane: “I ran for office to protect our Faith, Family, and Freedoms. Protecting children should be a priority for all Idahoans. Libraries play an important role in our community, but they must take responsible, ‘reasonable steps’ to locate materials that Idaho Code 18-1515 deems harmful to minors, into a section of the library that is for adults only.”

Our team has worked diligently to craft this legislation and listen to Idaho citizens. This bill preserves Local Control and does not ban books. This solution addresses the issue by providing a comprehensive and forward-thinking solution to benefit all Idahoans without providing a path for frivolous lawsuits. The legislation has garnered great support, and we will look forward to what comes next.

Representative Ronald “Jaron” Crane encourages citizens, stakeholders, and the media to learn more about The Children and Library Protection Act. For additional information, please contact Representative Ronald “Jaron” Crane at jcrane@house.idaho.gov.

About The Children and Library Protection Act Seeks to restrict minors and children’s access to material deemed “harmful to minors” per Idaho Code 18-1515 in Community and School Libraries

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