The interim task of monitoring the implementation of Senate Bill ( SB ) 13 in public schools and ensuring that “parents are the primary decision makers regarding a student’s access to library material” was assigned to the Texas Senate Committee on Education in 2026.
According to the law, schools must provide a common catalog of their materials, grant parents access to their children’s check lists, and request author lists for the books their children can access. Local libraries advisory councils may be established by school district boards of trustees to “make sure that local group values are reflected in” the libraries.
Lt. Governor was brought up by State Senator Brent Hagenbuch (R-Denton ). At Dan Patrick’s press conference on August 20, Patrick announced that he would push for legislation to “potentially affect the budget issues” and lower non-compliant school districts ‘ letter grades in the Texas Education Agency ( TEA ) accountability ratings.
Book advocate Bonnie Wallace, who was also present this week at the hearing, addressed “dirty, disgusting, and rude” books in school libraries at the August event.
At the council reading, Hagenbuch addressed TEA Deputy Commissioner of School Programs Shannon Trejo, who claimed Wallace claimed that just 20 % of schools have removed the books. But, 80 % of people haven’t done anything, some even after being told what’s on the racks. What do you think of that?
Trejo responded that the TEA does not have access to the number of books that have been removed from local libraries, adding that” that could definitely be something that legislation was look at to determine how to increase insight”
Hagenbuch continued to issue the plan’s “approval” procedure. He claimed that due to the procedures in place and parental presence, his school districts are confident in their legal compliance.
Hagenbuch responded to questions about all the books already in college library, stating that his city had determined this would be challenging.
” From what I understand, there is no effort to address that. I believe that the law doesn’t really target the ebooks on the shelves, which is a part of the problem. Do I have that right? He requested a confirmation from Trejo.
Trejo continued,” Regions have expressed concerns about the policy’s current heavy lifting,” describing a “many work” in terms of a full inventory of library materials.
The Texas Education Code forbids the “possession, acquisition, and order” of the books in issue, according to TEA General Counsel Von Byer.
The library advisory committee chose to keep several books in dispute in the Lubbock Independent School District ( LISD ), according to public testimony. The board of trustees of the district were informed by state senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock ).
According to Perry,” the Legislature’s goal is to get rid of properly obscene, vulgar]material.” According to the author,” the approach that LISD has set up misses the parliamentary intent” if this guide made the cut after their procedure review.
According to a family testifying before the Senate Education Committee, Perry “urged the city to pass those processes by using automated queries for insulting lists of words that are unethical.”
What exactly does SB 13 be if it isn’t sufficient? She argued that the bill doesn’t give parents any control over their reading choices, but more “censors” them.
Why does the collection have titillation when using local control? Why are the publications so filthy? Why was that a wise decision made directly? Rep. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels ), chair of the committee, retorted and said she was” shocked” by the nature of some books.
Campbell continued, adding that she thinks local power should continue until it becomes “loco control,” noting that the state government occasionally needs to move in with “guardrails and take a look.”
The president also made the point that speaking in a school that way would result in punishment for students who used language that was used in some books.
State Senator José Menendez (D-San Antonio ) expressed concern that the law may affect traditional books with obvious topics, like J. D. Salinger’s” The Catcher in the Rye.”
The promotion of a Texas middle school student’s required studying list, which includes the memoir” Night” by Holocaust veteran Elie Wiesel, has received criticism from Patrick and Wallace.
Shouldn’t we leave the parents ‘ choice to make? Menendez posed a question.
State Senator Angela Paxton (R-McKinney ) argued that the statute mandates that students won’t have access to “harmful material” and that the Legislature is” not empowering parents on certain things.”
She claimed that there is no familial discretion. It also lacks “school discretion.”
What makes you politicians and activists around currently think you know what’s best and what’s appropriate for my kids, or” the kids in my society,” a representative from the Texas Freedom to Read Project asked the commission. The agent also claimed that the language “according to local area values” makes the standards in SB 13″ subjective”
When Wallace testified in front of Campbell in response to a sexually obvious passage in one of the “profane” books, Wallace said,” I think we get that, we might miss some of that.”
Wallace told the council,” It’s not for y’all.” There aren’t any bad books in all of Texas ‘ library, according to the library, who are being critical.
On January 12, 2027, the 90th Congressional Conference will begin.
