•HRES 797 IH 
Whereas PEN America has identified 6,870 instances of indi-
vidual books banned between July 2024 and June 2025;. 
Whereas books banned between July 2024 and June 2025 af-
fected 3,751 unique titles, censoring the works of 2,589 
authors, illustrators, and translators; 
Whereas the majority of book bans were enacted without fol-
lowing the best practice guidelines for book challenges 
outlined by the American Library Association, the Na-
tional Coalition Against Censorship, and the National 
Council of Teachers of English; 
Whereas the unimpeded sharing of ideas and the freedom to 
read are essential to a strong democracy; 
Whereas books do not require readers to agree with topics, 
themes, or viewpoints but instead allow readers to explore 
and engage with differing perspectives to form and in-
form their own views; 
Whereas suppressing the freedom to read and denying access 
to literature, history, and knowledge are repressive and 
antidemocratic tactics used by authoritarian regimes 
against their people; 
Whereas book bans violate the rights of students, families, 
residents, and citizens based on the political, ideological, 
and cultural preferences of the specific individuals impos-
ing the bans; 
Whereas book bans have multifaceted, harmful consequences 
on— 
(1) students, who have a right to access a diverse 
range of stories and perspectives, especially students 
from historically marginalized backgrounds whose com-
munities are often targeted by thought control measures; 
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•HRES 797 IH 
(2) educators and librarians, who are operating in 
some States in an increasingly punitive and surveillance- 
oriented environment and experience a chilling effect in 
their work; 
(3) authors whose works are targeted and sup-
pressed; 
(4) parents who want their children to attend public 
schools that remain open to curiosity, discovery, and the 
freedom to read; and 
(5) community members who want free access to a 
range of uncensored information and knowledge from 
their public libraries; 
Whereas classic and award-winning literature and books that 
have been part of school curricula for decades have been 
challenged, removed from libraries pending review, or 
outright banned from schools, including— 
(1) ‘‘Brave New World’’ by Aldous Huxley; 
(2) ‘‘The Handmaid’s Tale’’ by Margaret Atwood; 
(3) ‘‘Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation’’ 
adapted by Ari Folman; 
(4) ‘‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’’ by Zora Neal 
Hurston; and 
(5) ‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’ by Harper Lee; 
Whereas books, particularly those written by and about out-
siders, newcomers, and individuals from marginalized 
backgrounds, are facing a heightened risk of being 
banned; 
Whereas, according to PEN America, a disproportionate 
number of books banned or otherwise restricted in the 
United States have LGBTQ+ characters or themes that 
recognize the equal humanity and dignity of all individ-
uals despite differences, including— 
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•HRES 797 IH 
(1) ‘‘And Tango Makes Three’’ by Justin Richard-
son and Peter Parnell; and 
(2) ‘‘This Book Is Gay’’ by Juno Dawson; 
Whereas many books, both fiction and nonfiction, that have 
been targeted for bans or restrictions in the United 
States are books about race, racism, or feature char-
acters of color, including— 
(1) ‘‘The Story of Ruby Bridges’’ by Robert Coles 
and illustrated by George Ford; 
(2) ‘‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’’ by Martin Lu-
ther King, Jr.; 
(3) ‘‘Thank You, Jackie Robinson’’ by Barbara 
Cohen; 
(4) ‘‘Malala: A Hero For All’’ by Shana Corey; 
(5) ‘‘Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story’’ 
by Kevin Noble Maillard; 
(6) ‘‘Hair Love’’ by Matthew A. Cherry; 
(7) ‘‘Good Trouble: Lessons From the Civil Rights 
Playbook’’ by Christopher Noxon; and 
(8) ‘‘We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declara-
tion of Human Rights in Pictures’’; 
Whereas the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has reported 
a dramatic surge in challenges at libraries and schools to 
the inclusion of graphic novels that depict the diversity 
of civic life in the United States and the painful and 
complex history of racism, homophobia, anti-Asian bias 
and antisemitism embedded in the human experience, in-
cluding— 
(1) ‘‘Maus’’ by Art Spiegelman; 
(2) ‘‘New Kid’’ by Jerry Craft; 
(3) ‘‘Drama’’ by Raina Telgemeier; and 
(4) ‘‘American Born Chinese’’ by Gene Luen Yang; 
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•HRES 797 IH 
Whereas books addressing death, grief, mental illness, and 
suicide are targeted alongside nonfiction books that dis-
cuss feelings and emotions written for teenage and young 
adult audiences that frequently confront these topics; 
Whereas, during congressional hearings on April 7, 2022, 
May 19, 2022, and September 12, 2023, students, par-
ents, teachers, librarians, and school administrators testi-
fied to the chilling and fear-spreading effects that book 
bans have on education and the school environment; 
Whereas, since 2021, State legislation censoring certain con-
tent within schools and libraries has been enacted across 
the country, resulting in nearly 23,000 book bans; 
Whereas an increasing amount of book censorship goes unre-
ported and may be higher than is able to be reported, due 
to mass removals implementing vaguely-written State leg-
islation and a lack of transparency about district-based 
removals. 
Whereas, according to PEN America, from July 2024 to 
June 2025, 23 States across the country limited access 
to certain books for limited or indefinite periods of time, 
including— 
(1) Florida, where at least 2,304 books in total have 
been banned or restricted in 33 school districts; 
(2) Texas, where at least 1,781 books in total have 
been banned or restricted in 7 school districts; 
(3) Tennessee, where at least 1,622 books in total 
have been banned or restricted in 8 school districts; 
(4) Idaho, where at least 150 books in total have 
been banned or restricted in one school district; and 
(5) Iowa, where at least 113 books in total have 
been banned or restricted in 4 school districts; 
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•HRES 797 IH 
Whereas the President of the United States has repeatedly 
expressed public support for the censorship of certain 
subjects, through public statements and Executive orders, 
including gender, sexuality, and race; 
Whereas, following executive orders, Department of Defense 
Education Activity (DoDEA) schools removed books re-
lated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ‘‘gender ide-
ology,’’ and anything that would suggest ‘‘that America’s 
founding documents are racist or sexist,’’ resulting in the 
censorship of classroom instruction, student activities, 
and removal of at least 596 books in DoDEA schools; 
Whereas, following these same Executive orders, the Depart-
ment of Defense directed all military academies to iden-
tify and remove books from their libraries that deal with 
issues such as race, ‘‘gender ideology’’, and other ‘‘divi-
sive concepts’’ that the Administration considers ‘‘incom-
patible with the department’s core mission’’ and led to 
the temporary removal of nearly 400 books from the U.S. 
Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library, including ‘‘I Know 
Why The Caged Bird Sings’’ by Maya Angelou; 
Whereas grants administered by the National Endowment for 
the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities 
and other federal agencies have been ended or revoked 
for using language related to race, gender, and 
LGBTQ+ identity or addressing social inequality; and 
Whereas the Department of Education’s Office of Civil 
Rights has claimed book bans are a ‘‘hoax’’, ended inves-
tigations of alleged discrimination related to book ban-
ning, and fired the staffer in charge of addressing the 
book banning crisis; Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 797 IH 
(1) expresses concern about the spreading prob-
lem of book banning and the proliferating threats to 
freedom of expression in the United States; 
(2) reaffirms the commitment of the United 
States to supporting the freedom of expression of 
writers that is protected under the First Amendment 
to the Constitution and the freedom of all individ-
uals in the United States to read books without gov-
ernment censorship; 
(3) calls on local governments and school dis-
tricts to follow best practice guidelines when ad-
dressing challenges to books; 
(4) calls on local governments and school dis-
tricts to protect the rights of students to learn and 
the ability of educators and librarians to teach, in-
cluding by providing students with the opportunity 
to read a wide array of books reflecting the full 
breadth and diversity of viewpoints and perspectives; 
(5) calls for the return of all books removed 
from Department of Defense schools under executive 
orders since January of 2025 be immediately re-
turned to shelves; and 
(6) calls for the repeal of Executive orders and 
rescission of directives that have enacted content- 
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•HRES 797 IH 
based restrictions on the freedom to read and learn 
in United States public schools. 
Æ 
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