By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
OKLAHOMA CITY — A new legislative proposal moving through the Oklahoma Senate could fundamentally change how public and charter school libraries operate, while also introducing steep financial consequences for districts that fail to comply.
Senate Bill 1250, co-authored by State Senators Warren Hamilton (R-McAlester) and Shane Jett (R-Shawnee), would require every school in the state to submit a comprehensive inventory of all library materials—including print and digital books found in individual classrooms—to the State Department of Education by October 1.
The measure specifically prohibits any materials containing nudity, sexual conduct or “sexually explicit content” from being accessible to students under the age of 18.
Under the bill’s current language, “sexually explicit content” includes written descriptions of sexual conduct.
While the bill allows students to own or discuss such books independently, it strictly prohibits them from bringing those materials onto school grounds.
A critical component of the legislation is the introduction of a mandatory 5% reduction in state funding for any district found to be in noncompliance.
Senator Jett described the penalty as a necessary tool to ensure accountability.
“[It’s] putting teeth in the bill to make sure that if they’re in violation of this rule, then it’ll cost them to do that. We want to make sure that they’re incentivized to guard the public trust, both in the funds that they receive from the parents, but also, and most importantly, protect the children from being exposed to obscene or sexually charged material.”
The bill outlines a formal complaint process that allows parents or legal guardians to report suspected violations to their local school board. The board is then required to conduct an investigation and report its finding within 14 business days.
If a parent is unsatisfied with the local result, they can appeal the findings to the State Department of Education.
Senator Hamilton noted during a committee meeting that the financial penalty is not intended to be an immediate “gotcha” for districts.
“This is all provided that they refuse to fix the issue,” Hamilton stated in regard to the potential funding cuts.
However, the Oklahoma Library Association has raised concerns that the bill targets problems that have already been resolved through existing local policies.
Michael Hull, the President of the Oklahoma Library Association, noted that most schools already maintain digitized catalogs and that the bill’s broad language regarding written descriptions is particularly concerning.
“Because it includes written descriptions, we feel that there’s a lot of textbooks, a lot of just very vague things with everything from the Bible on that could be considered to violate that,” said Hull. “We think that’s something that could probably use some adjustment.”
The Oklahoma Library Association released the following statement regarding the proposed legislation:
“The Oklahoma Library Association supports a parent’s right to decide what their child can read. For more than 30 years, Oklahoma public schools have been required to have a board-approved policy governing which materials can be included in the school library collection. Every school board policy includes requests for library materials to be reviewed or reconsidered. We encourage parents to be engaged in what their children are reading and work with their local schools and librarians when they have questions about their children’s reading choices. We know that nearly 30% of school districts in Oklahoma do not have a certified school librarian on staff. These highly qualified teachers are essential to ensuring the school library collection meets their community’s standards. School librarians are trained in collection development and advancing multiple types of literacy among Oklahoma’s youth. OLA looks forward to collaborating with our state officials to ensure Oklahoma students have access to a highly trained teacher-librarian and a well-curated library collection.”
Hull emphasized that while lawmakers are focused on inventory and penalties, the primary need for many districts is the expertise of certified staff.
“We really need to put a lot more emphasis on ensuring that every school has a certified school media specialist. When you don’t have a certified school media specialist in place, you’re lacking that person who understands how to go out and do the selection and to weigh that versus the local policies versus what is appropriate for each age group.”
Senate Bill 1250 passed the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 24 and now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote.
Since the bill contains an emergency clause, it would take effect immediately upon being signed into law.
You can read the full proposed bill below:
