North Carolina HB 636: Promoting Wholesome Content for Students.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 636
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/15/25

Short Title: Promoting Wholesome Content for Students. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 2, 2025
*H636-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT CONTENT THAT IS 2
HARMFUL TO MINORS IS NOT MADE AVAILABLE IN SCHOOLS AND TO 3
ESTABLISH A PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION FOR PARENTS, GUARDIANS, OR 4
RESIDENTS OF A COUNTY AGAINST A PUBLIC SCHOOL UNIT THAT IS 5
VIOLATING THOSE PROCEDURES. 6
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 8
"(50) Database of Rejected Library Media. – The State Board shall maintain a 9
database of all library media rejected by public school units pursuant to Part 10
7 of Article 7B of this Chapter. The State Board shall update this database 11
annually and make the database publicly available on a website maintained by 12
the Department of Public Instruction." 13
SECTION 2.(a) Article 7B of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 14
adding a new Part to read: 15
"Part 7. Student Services. 16
"§ 115C-78. Library media. 17
(a) The following definitions apply in this section: 18
(1) Approval. – Approval for library media to be added to a school library and 19
retained in a school library. 20
(2) Community library advisory committee. – A committee established by the 21
governing body of a public school unit pursuant to subsection (d) of this 22
section. 23
(3) Library media. – Any media, excluding textbooks, for independent use by 24
students and school personnel and not used as part of the standard course of 25
study for any grade or course, whether held in a formal school library or in a 26
classroom. 27
(4) Media. – Any electronic, print, or non-print resources, including pictures, 28
drawings, video recordings, films or other visual depictions or representations, 29
as well as written words. 30
(5) Parent. – A parent or legal guardian. 31
(6) Rejected. – Any library media that is reviewed by a public school unit and not 32
met with approval. 33
(7) School library. – Any location within a school that contains library media. 34
(8) Sexual activity. – As defined in G.S. 14-190.13. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 636-Second Edition
(b) Governing bodies of public school units shall adopt a policy for the selection and 1
procurement of library media, including a recommendation review process. Approval of library 2
media shall be an ongoing process that includes the removal within one year of library media that 3
no longer meets the criteria for approval and the periodic replacement or repair of library media 4
still of educational value. This review shall include any library media that is donated to the public 5
school unit or a school within a public school unit. 6
(c) The policy adopted by the governing body of a public school unit pursuant to this 7
section shall meet the following requirements: 8
(1) The community library advisory committee shall identify library media to be 9
recommended for addition to a school library. 10
(2) The community library advisory committee shall review library media for 11
addition to a school library and determine whether the library media meets the 12
following criteria: 13
a. Supports and enriches students' personal learning and the standard 14
course of study for grades and courses offered at the school where the 15
library media would be available. 16
b. Meets high standards in literary, artistic, and aesthetic quality, as well 17
as technical aspects and physical format. 18
c. Is appropriate for the age, grade level, intellectual development, and 19
ability level of the students that will have access to the library media. 20
Library media that is appropriate for the age, grade level, intellectual 21
development, and ability level is library media that is suitable for 22
particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents based on 23
developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for 24
the age or age group. Library media is not appropriate for the age, 25
grade level, intellectual development, and ability level for any age or 26
age group of children if it includes descriptions or visual depictions of 27
sexual activity or is pervasively vulgar. 28
d. Balances financial cost with need. 29
e. Complies with the Children's Internet Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 30
254(h)(5), including technology protection measures. 31
(3) The community library advisory committee shall submit recommendations to 32
the governing body of the public school unit for approval or denial. 33
(4) The governing body of the public school unit shall consider the recommended 34
library media at meetings of the body. While the library media is under review, 35
the governing body may request more information from the superintendent 36
about the library media or the author of the library media. Any member of