Tennessee Bill Targets Publishers for Sending Sexually Explicit Books to Schools

Books on a shelf in a school library in a file photo. John Moore/Getty Images

The Tennessee House of Representatives approved a bill on April 19 that could make book publishers, distributors, or sellers liable for knowingly sending “obscene materials” to public schools in the state.

Senate Bill 1059, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Susan Lynn and Republican state Sen. Joey Hensley, passed the House in a 71–22 vote, roughly a week after it passed in the Senate.