IN-DEPTH: National Publishers, Booksellers Sue Over Ratings Law for Public School Books with Sexual Content

Texas public school library vendors have sued the state to block a new law that will require ratings for books in public schools based on their sexual content.

Diana Richards of Texas testified before the state House of Representatives regarding House Bill 900 on March 28, 2023. This is a stack of books containing explicit language and images that have been found in some Texas public school libraries. Courtesy of Diana Richards

A coalition of national publishers and booksellers are suing the state of Texas over a bill that will require public school library vendors to review and assign book ratings for any sexual content.

House Bill 900, which is also known as the Reader (Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources) Act, was passed during the regular legislative session and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in June. The law is set to take effect on Sept. 1.