{VLA} Legislation Affecting Libraries Defeated: Update on General Assembly February 20, 2023

Good afternoon,

The table below indicates the fate of the many bills introduced into this year's General Assembly that had the potential to negatively impact library collections and services. Thanks to:

The testimony of our Executive Director, Lisa Varga, and our Legislative Liaison, Phil Abraham
The work of the Intellectual Freedom Committee in crafting model emails about SB 787, HB 1379, and HB 1448 to members of the Senate and House Committees considering the legislation.
The quick responses of VLA members and allies who sent emails and otherwise reached out to legislators.
And finally, to those legislators who supported libraries,

all this legislation was defeated.

We can breathe easy--for a moment. The VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee is now strategizing how to capitalize on this series of legislative victories by communicating the role of libraries as institutions representing the perspectives of, and providing information for, as many members of our communities as possible, and by reinforcing and expanding our networks of supportersdedicated to protecting the First Amendment, and in our relationships with members of the General Assembly.

Sincerely,
Keith Weimer, Chair
on Behalf of the VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee
(Thank you to Tom Shepley, Chair of the Legislative Committee, for helpfully compiling a table of the legislation affecting libraries.)

Bill	Title	Sponsors	Status
HB 1379	Public Elementary And Secondary School Libraries; Catalog Of Printed And Audiovisual Materials, Etc.	Dave A. LaRock; Phillip A. Scott; Timothy V. Anderson	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N) (2/16)
HB 1448	Public School Library Materials: Doe To Make Recommendations, Model Policies, Selection And Removal.	Tara A. Durant; Robert D. Orrock, Sr.	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N) (2/16)
HB 1708	Juveniles: Prohibited Sales And Loans Of Materials Deemed Harmful.	Dave A. LaRock	H Left in Courts of Justice (2/7)
HB 1803	Public Elementary And Secondary Schools; Certain Opportunities For Parental Involvement.	Nicholas J. Freitas	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N) (2/16)
HB 1893	School Boards; Requires Posting Of Certain Information On Its Website.	Wendell S. Walker	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N) (2/16)
HB 1903	School Boards: Online Portal For Parents To Access Content In School Libraries.	Tara A. Durant	H Left in Appropriations (2/7)
HJ 505	Constitutional Amendment; Rights Of Parents (first Reference).	Nicholas J. Freitas	H Left in Privileges and Elections (2/7)
SB 787	Public School Libraries: Printed Or Audiovisual Materials, Selection, Evaluation, & Checkout Proced.	Bill DeSteph	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N) (1/19)
SB 832	Public Schools; Parental Rights To Educational Transparency.	Amanda F. Chase	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health with letter (14-Y 1-N) (2/2)
SB 1199	Public Schools; Parental Rights To Educational Transparency.	Bryce E. Reeves	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (12-Y 3-N) (1/19)
SB 1204	Obscene; Definition.	Bryce E. Reeves	S Passed by indefinitely in Judiciary (8-Y 5-N) (1/18)
SB 1463	Public Libraries, Certain; Parental Advisory Label To Be Affixed To Sexually Explicit Materials.	Amanda F. Chase	S Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N) (2/2)
SB 1528	Libraries; Acquisition Of Books And Other Library Matter, Electronic Literary Material.	David W. Marsden	S Passed by indefinitely in General Laws and Technology with letter (15-Y 0-N) (2/1)