Nebraska lawmakers advance bill allowing parental notification for school library checkouts

Nebraska could soon require public schools to inform parents about the books their children check out from libraries if they want to monitor their reading materials.

The proposed legislation, which also would require public schools to create online databases of the books carried in their libraries, passed a crucial hurdle Tuesday, advancing out of the 49-member unicameral Legislature on a 25-2 vote, with 19 members present but not voting.

It would allow parents to opt in to receive electronic library notifications about the books their children acquire. The proposal must pass another debate and vote before it heads to Republican Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk.

A similar effort failed in Nebraska last year, as state senators opted instead for broader parental involvement legislation.

State Sen. Dave Murman, who sponsored the revived parental book notification bill, said it would give parents an opportunity to know whether the books their children are reading align with their values.

“This is important so parents can be fully informed and make knowledgeable and family-specific decisions on the content their children are reading,” he said on the floor during a 90-minute debate ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

The effort comes amid conservative pressure against some library materials, including books that deal with gender identity and sexuality. A recent report from book advocacy nonprofit PEN America recorded 10,046 book bans in public schools nationwide during the past school year and found that more than half of the books targeted included “sex-related themes or depictions.”

PEN America cautioned in its report that “since 2021 a movement to ban books has put students’ freedom to read in jeopardy, advancing extreme conservative viewpoints about what is appropriate and allowable in schools.”

“Year after year, this campaign to scrutinize and ideologically control literature in public schools continues to grow,” the report reads.