(a)Each school board and each approved independent school shall develop, adopt, ensure the enforcement of, and make available in the manner described under subdivision 563(1) of this title a library material selection policy. Each superintendent and head of school of an approved independent school shall develop and implement procedures for the reconsideration and retention of materials. The policy and procedures shall affirm the importance of intellectual freedom and be guided by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Vermont laws prohibiting discrimination in places of public accommodation, the 2004 American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement, the 2024 Vermont Freedom to Read Statement, and reflect Vermont’s diverse people and history, in
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(a) Each school board and each approved independent school shall develop, adopt, ensure the enforcement of, and make available in the manner described under subdivision 563(1) of this title a library material selection policy. Each superintendent and head of school of an approved independent school shall develop and implement procedures for the reconsideration and retention of materials. The policy and procedures shall affirm the importance of intellectual freedom and be guided by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Vermont laws prohibiting discrimination in places of public accommodation, the 2004 American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement, the 2024 Vermont Freedom to Read Statement, and reflect Vermont’s diverse people and history, including diversity of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, religion, and political beliefs.
(b) In order to ensure a student’s First Amendment rights are protected and all students’ identities are affirmed and dignity respected, the policy and procedures required under subsection (a) of this section shall prohibit the removal of school library materials for the following reasons:
(1) partisan approval or disapproval;
(2) the author’s race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, political views, or religious views;
(3) school board members’ or members of the public’s discomfort, personal morality, political views, or religious views;
(4) the author’s point of view concerning the problems and issues of our time, whether international, national, or local;
(5) the race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, political views, or religious views of the protagonist or other characters; or
(6) content related to sexual health that addresses physical, mental, emotional, or social dimensions of human sexuality, including puberty, sex, and relationships.
(c) The policy and procedures required under subsection (a) of this section shall ensure that school library staff are responsible for curating and developing collections that provide students with access to a wide array of materials that are relevant to students’ research, independent reading interests, and educational needs, as well as ensuring such materials are tailored to the cognitive and emotional levels of the children served by the school. (Added 2023, No. 150 (Adj. Sess.), § 7a, eff. July 1, 2025; amended 2025, No. 72, § 15, eff. June 27, 2025.)