Texas House debating ‘book ban’ bill seeking to prevent minors from accessing ‘obscene’ books

The Texas House of Representatives is debating a bill Thursday intended to block minors from accessing books and other materials at public libraries that lawmakers deem “sexually explicit.”

House Bill 3225 would create an age verification process for municipal libraries that carry such titles.

“Sexually explicit material’ means any communication, language, or material, including a written description, illustration, photographic image, video image, or audio file, that describes, depicts, or portrays sexual conduct,” according to the language in the proposal.

If adopted, HB 3225 would layer atop a 2023 Republican-backed state law that mandates the same thing but for public school libraries. That legislation bans public school libraries from holding material that “describes or portrays sexual conduct” in a “patently offensive way” if it’s not included in the required curriculum.

The existing ban has already created confusion statewide since many major works of literature contain references to sexuality.

The Texas Tribune reports numerous books have already been removed from school library shelves throughout Texas as a result of the 2023 ban, citing data from Pen America. These include include Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and even the Bible.

Free speech and civil rights organizations, including LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Equality Texas, have sounded the alarm about HB 3225, asserting that it could be used to prevent teens from accessing queer literature.

“This same language has been used in school districts across the state to restrict access to stories about LGBTQIA+ lives,” a Wednesday Instagram post by Equality Texas reads. “This is a book ban plain and simple.”

On Thursday, the bill was placed on the Texas House General State Calendar for floor debate. However, public comments aren’t being held since the discussion isn’t considered a hearing.

Should the bill become law, libraries would have 45 days to comply by either removing potentially explicit content from their shelves or creating an age-verification process.

HB 3225 would penalize libraries that don’t comply by withholding public funding the following fiscal year. Municipal libraries also could incur a $10,000 fine per violation.

The bill has 54 sponsors, all of whom are Republican. Those include all three House Republicans currently representing San Antonio: Reps. Marc LaHood, John Lujan and Mark Dorazio.

Separately, another bill seeks to criminalize book stores that carry “obscene” material. House Bill 1375 is authored by Nate Schatzline, who also authored the bill seeking to penalize schools and teachers for expressing support for a student’s “social transitioning.” Schatzline has also received criticism for bragging about the low vaccination rate in his kids’ school.

HB 1375 opens bookstores up to lawsuits if a minor reports damages from a work deemed “obscene.” That bill, first introduced April 23, is still pending in committee.

Yet another bill, SB 13, seeks to create school library advisory councils made up of parents, who would decide what titles school libraries carry, rather than leaving that decision to librarians. As of May 7, that Texas Senate bill is also pending in committee.

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.