Monitoring the Session

HB 4354

bill barring schools from removing library books

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr.DHouse 142

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to access to certain public school library materials.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

A restricted-access list instead.

The bill bars public school districts and charter schools from removing any book or other item from their library catalogs, and makes them build a restricted-access list instead, with input from parents, teachers and administrators. Any item rated as sexually relevant under existing state rating rules must go on that restricted list, and students may not access restricted items without written consent from a parent. It also repeals Section 35.005 of the Education Code, and the new rules apply starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 917 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 917 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 11, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4354 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr.DHouse 142

ITEM

relating to access to certain public school library materials.

WHAT IT DOES

A restricted-access list instead.

The bill bars public school districts and charter schools from removing any book or other item from their library catalogs, and makes them build a restricted-access list instead, with input from parents, teachers and administrators. Any item rated as sexually relevant under existing state rating rules must go on that restricted list, and students may not access restricted items without written consent from a parent. It also repeals Section 35.005 of the Education Code, and the new rules apply starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Harold V. Dutton Jr.

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$66KTexas Sands PAC$58KCharter Schools Now PAC$36K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 29, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$65,748.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$33,248.00
Total
$65,748.00
mail $33,248.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

Texas Sands PAC$58,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash
$58,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101044526.

Charter Schools Now PAC$36,000.00

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash
$1,000.00
Paid by others
$35,000.00
Total
$36,000.00
Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101044523, 101061631.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$33,248.00
Total
$65,748.00
mail $33,248.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash
$58,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101044526.

×

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash
$1,000.00
Paid by others
$35,000.00
Total
$36,000.00
Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101044523, 101061631.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 917

by Rep. Dutton, same lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 2, 2023: Referred to Public Education

Relating to access to certain public school library materials.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 11, 2025

04/01/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Apr 1 2025 12:28PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Charter Schools

Education--School Districts

Libraries & Librarians

LIBRARY COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT & MATERIALS (SE35P)

PARENTAL CONSENT

Text

The text as introduced · 305 words

89R3920 JDK-D

By: Dutton
H.B. No. 4354

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to access to certain public school library materials.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 35, Education Code, is amended by adding

Section 35.0061 to read as follows:

Sec. 35.0061. ACCESS TO CERTAIN LIBRARY MATERIALS. (a) In

this section, "library material" means any book, record, file, or

other instrument or document listed in a school district's or

open-enrollment charter school's library catalog.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a

school district or open-enrollment charter school may not remove

any library material from the district's or school's library

catalog. Instead of removing library materials, each school

district or open-enrollment charter school shall, in consultation

with district or school parents, teachers, and administrators,

adopt procedures to create a list of restricted access library

materials. A library material rated as sexually relevant material

under Section 35.002(a) must be included in the list of restricted

access library materials.

(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may

not allow a student to access library materials designated as

restricted access library materials under Subsection (b) in the

catalog of a school library at the district or school unless the

district or school first obtains written consent from the student's

parent or person standing in parental relation to the student

authorizing the student's access to that library material.

SECTION 2. Section 35.005, Education Code, is repealed.

SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.