I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6830 
To require certain libraries to maintain a diverse collection of books, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 14, 2023 
Ms. PRESSLEY (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. BROWN, Mr. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mrs. FOUSHEE, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. 
HORSFORD, Mr. IVEY, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. 
KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. 
MCBATH, Mr. MFUME, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. OMAR, 
Mr. PAYNE, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. PLASKETT, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Ms. TLAIB, 
Mr. VEASEY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, and Ms. WATERS) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To require certain libraries to maintain a diverse collection 
of books, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Books Save Lives 
Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Jan 05, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6830.IH
H6830
ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. ACCESS TO LIBRARIES AND DIVERSE BOOKS. 
(a) ACCESS
TO SCHOOL LIBRARIES.—A covered 
school shall maintain a library that is staffed by a trained 
librarian. 
(b) LIBRARY BOOK SELECTION.—Each public library 
receiving Federal financial assistance and each library of 
a covered school shall maintain a diverse collection of 
books, including— 
(1) books written or illustrated by an individual 
who is a member of an underrepresented community; 
and 
(2) books about an underrepresented commu-
nity. 
(c) CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT.—Proof that the 
exclusion of books from a covered school or library receiv-
ing Federal financial assistance has had a disparate im-
pact on covered books shall constitute prima facie evidence 
of discrimination against a protected class in violation of 
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), 
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12101 et seq.), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
701 et seq.), or the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 
U.S.C. 1651 et seq.), as appropriate. 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON BOOK BAN CAMPAIGNS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Jan 05, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6830.IH
H6830
ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
States shall begin the creation of a report on the effect 
that recent campaigns to ban books in public libraries and 
public schools have had on underrepresented communities. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COVERED BOOK.—The term ‘‘covered book’’ 
means a book or an item of educational media writ-
ten by, illustrated by, or about an individual who is 
a member of an underrepresented community. 
(2) COVERED
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘covered 
school’’ means an elementary school or secondary 
school that is controlled or directed by a local edu-
cational agency receiving Federal financial assist-
ance. 
(3) 
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL, 
LOCAL
EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCY, AND SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The 
terms ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘local educational agen-
cy’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the meaning given 
the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(4) UNDERREPRESENTED
COMMUNITY.—The 
term ‘‘underrepresented community’’ means a group 
of individuals that share a common identity or char-
acteristic, in cases in which discrimination based on 
such characteristic is prohibited by the Civil Rights 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Jan 05, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6830.IH
H6830
ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 
et seq.), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
701 et seq.), or the Education Amendments of 1972 
(20 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.), including a group of indi-
viduals who— 
(A) are members of a racial or ethnic mi-
nority group; 
(B) are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 
queer, intersex, or nonbinary; 
(C) are members of a religious minority 
group; or 
(D) have a disability. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Jan 05, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6830.IH
H6830
ssavage on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS