Bill · H.R. 8235· House(119-HR-8235)
Books Save Lives Act
- Introduced
- 4/9/2026
- Last activity
- 4/9/2026 — Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Ayanna Pressley
- Cosponsors
- - 18 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Books Save Lives Act" requires certain libraries to maintain diverse book collections. Covered schools must maintain a library staffed by a trained librarian. Public libraries receiving Federal financial assistance and libraries of covered schools must include books written, illustrated, or about members of underrepresented communities. The bill establishes that excluding such books can be used as evidence of discrimination under various civil rights laws. Additionally, the Comptroller General is tasked with reporting on the effects of book ban campaigns on underrepresented communities.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would Black Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill protects the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in educational and public library collections.
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill protects the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in educational and public library collections.
Would Asian Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill protects the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in educational and public library collections.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Access to diverse materials: Covered schools must maintain a library with a trained librarian, and libraries must maintain collections including books written or illustrated by, or about, members of underrepresented communities (Section 2(a) and 2(b)).
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Protection against discrimination: Proof that excluding certain books has a disparate impact on "covered books" can serve as evidence of discrimination against protected classes (Section 2(c)).
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Increased oversight on book bans: The Comptroller General will create a report regarding the effect that recent campaigns to ban books in public libraries and public schools have had on underrepresented communities (Section 3).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly identified within the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For African Americans+5Good For Asian Americans+5Good For Hispanic Americans+5Good For L G B T Q Community+5Good For Native Americans+5Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Children+4Good For Students+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Disability Rights+5Improves L G B T Q Rights+5Improves Racial Equity+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+2
- 4/9/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 18 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Dwight EvansDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Maxwell FrostDemocrat · Florida
Jonathan JacksonDemocrat · Illinois
Rick LarsenDemocrat · Washington
Summer LeeDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Gwen MooreDemocrat · Wisconsin
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDemocrat · New York
Mike QuigleyDemocrat · Illinois
Delia RamirezDemocrat · Illinois
Emily RandallDemocrat · Washington
Lateefah SimonDemocrat · California
Bennie ThompsonDemocrat · Mississippi
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Lauren UnderwoodDemocrat · Illinois
Nydia VelázquezDemocrat · New York