Texas HB4056

Not later than the 10th business day after the date of receipt of a form requesting reconsideration submitted under Subsection (c), a district-level library supervisor or designated administrator shall appoint a reconsideration committee to review whether the challenged library material conforms to the standards adopted under Section 33.021(c). (e) The reconsideration committee appointed under Subsection (d) must include district- and campus-level professional staff, including at least one member who has experience using the challenged material with students or who is familiar with the challenged material's content, and two parents of students. The school district superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall chair the committee. The total voting committee membership may not be an even number. The complainant is ineligible for membership on the reconsideration committee, but the committee shall thoughtfully consider the concerns expressed by the complainant on the reconsideration form. (f) Before a meeting of a reconsideration committee appointed under Subsection (d), each member of the committee shall: (1) read a copy of the challenged library material; (2) review the written submission made by the complainant; and (3) review all items on any checklist for reconsideration of a library material that the school district has adopted.

A library material selected by a school district must: (1) support and enrich the curriculum or students' personal interests and learning; (2) meet high standards in: (A) literary, artistic, and aesthetic quality; (B) technical aspects; and (C) physical format; (3) be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, intellectual development, and ability level of the students for whom the material is selected; (4) for a nonfiction resource, incorporate accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources; (5) earn favorable reviews in standard reviewing sources or favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professionals; and (6) balance cost with need.

A challenged library material that the reconsideration committee determines is appropriate may not be reconsidered before the first anniversary of the date of a determination under Subsection (g), and any library material removed is ineligible for consideration to be added to the school district's collection before the 10th anniversary of the date of the material's removal. The school district shall verify any previous determination before convening a reconsideration committee.