AB783: Bill Text

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 783

December 8, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives J. Anderson, Emerson, Baldeh, Clancy, Conley, Considine, Haywood, Jacobson, Madison, Moore Omokunde, Ohnstad, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Sinicki and Snodgrass, cosponsored by Senators L. Johnson, Hesselbein, Spreitzer and Larson. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB783,1,3 An Act to create 43.58 (9) and 120.12 (25m) of the statutes; relating to: requests for restrictions on the availability of library materials, including school library materials.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

The bill provides that, if a library board or school board has a procedure to evaluate and resolve a complaint alleging that library materials should be removed from the collection or restricted to certain users, the procedure may only be initiated upon a finding that 1) the complaint is made by an individual who resides in a political subdivision that established the public library or in the case of a school library, the individual is either the parent or guardian of a pupil attending a school in the school district or a resident of the school district, 2) the complaint is accompanied by a statement from the individual making the complaint averring that the individual has reviewed the library material in its entirety, 3) the complaint contains an explanation of the individual's objections to the material, and 4) the complaint is accompanied by the signatures of not less than 5 percent of the total number of electors in the political subdivision that established the public library or for a school library, 5 percent of the total number of the electors in the school district in which the school library is located.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB783,1 Section 1. 43.58 (9) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,2,5 43.58 (9) If a library board has a procedure to evaluate and resolve a complaint alleging that library materials should be removed from the collection or restricted to certain users, the procedure may only be initiated upon a finding that all of the following are satisfied:

AB783,2,7 (a) The complaint is made by an individual who resides in a city, village, town, or county that established the public library.

AB783,2,10 (b) The complaint is accompanied by a statement from the individual making the complaint averring that the individual has reviewed the library material in its entirety.

AB783,2,12 (c) The complaint contains an explanation of the individual's objections to the material.

AB783,2,15 (d) The complaint is accompanied by the signatures of not less than 5 percent of the total number of electors in the city, village, town, or county that established the public library.

AB783,2 Section 2. 120.12 (25m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,2,21 120.12 (25m) School library materials; objections policy. If the school board has a procedure to evaluate and resolve a complaint alleging that school library materials should be removed from the collection or restricted to certain users, ensure that the procedure may only be initiated upon a finding that all of the following are satisfied:

AB783,2,22 (a) The complaint is made by an individual who is any of the following:

AB783,2,23 1. A parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in the school district.

AB783,2,24 2. A resident of the school district.

AB783,3,3 (b) The complaint is accompanied by a statement from the individual making the complaint averring that the individual has reviewed the school library material in its entirety.

AB783,3,5 (c) The complaint contains an explanation of the individual's objections to the school library material.

AB783,3,7 (d) The complaint is accompanied by the signatures of not less than 5 percent of the total number of electors residing in the school district.

AB783,3,8 (End)