HB 1658

AN ACT relating to access to public school library materials by

House Bill Cunningham
Filed

Filed

Bill introduced by legislator

Committee

Hearing

Passed Cmte

Calendar

Passed

Sent

Enrolled

Governor

Signed

89th Regular Session

Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended

Awaiting Committee Assignment

Bill filed, pending referral to House committee

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Fiscal Note

Not available

What This Bill Does

This Texas bill allows school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to create policies that permit non-enrolled students (such as homeschooled students) to access school library materials under the same conditions as enrolled students. The policy would require non-enrolled students to establish specific criteria for library access, giving local school boards discretion in determining those requirements. If passed, this bill provides an optional pathway for homeschooled and other non-enrolled students to use public school library resources in their local district.

Subject Areas

Bill Text

relating to access to public school library materials by
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 33.023 to read as follows:
Sec. 33.023.  ACCESS TO SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS BY
NON-ENROLLED STUDENT.  (a)  In this section, "non-enrolled student"
means a student who receives instruction as described by Section
29.916(a)(1) from a nonpublic school.
(b)  The board of trustees of a school district and the
governing body of an open-enrollment charter school may adopt a
policy allowing a non-enrolled student who resides in the district
or in the geographic area served by the school to access the
district's or school's library materials in the same manner that the
district or school provides access to students enrolled in the
(c)  A policy adopted under Subsection (b) must require a
non-enrolled student who seeks access to a school district's or
open-enrollment charter school's library materials to establish
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Bill Sponsors

Legislators who authored or co-sponsored this bill.

Bill History

filed

Bill filed: AN ACT relating to access to public school library materials by