[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6611053,"mediaKeyId","2900224-4c7082d80510b13ccd2a5dd551d4d592","parentId",2900224,"title","Assembly Judiciary hears bill to protect student access to school and public library materials","audioSeconds",5709,"startMs",180000,"endMs",5889000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2900224-4c7082d80510b13ccd2a5dd551d4d592&start=180&end=5889","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2900224-4c7082d80510b13ccd2a5dd551d4d592/thumbnail_180000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6611053/Nevada/Assembly-Judiciary-hears-bill-to-protect-student-access-to-school-and-public-library-materials","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611053-af44bdd9e1414d71713c7a61f6a4bdea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137789&Signature=W0aqihH0Zx~5yfneNCi3qNqx2pUzTAoq5qf~GLDqIoG0oYbmJ2aEGBzfeGaVl9cNTVSI1sqKJzKzZHnpGEZZ27ndT5qwXYwons8DGBgJFgULvHrL1lyrbC45AXAeA20bTI6qxI6JaRIn9j0vEM-ds9CFENpP0Rm0l3u-XVMtiQ1FPEemRKN7uny5N2kojp7DcRSVE5CaDHVzpN~Sl2bCKrSFBoNG8GYf7U2hhOkWQNBEJh4lxRRff1b7siNAK~VK7p~Y6XM5yMCsCCYoHu4VgsPB-1j9hSc-vc4eVP9LIdpTtAo0lEq2pt2VelEvzJbrO--Sspl1avrMunYMb9Ck0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada Legislature","date","2025-04-08T17:57:29.087Z","article","At a hybrid hearing in Carson City and Las Vegas, the Assembly Judiciary Committee opened discussion on Assembly Bill 416, legislation that would restrict removal or reclassification of library materials in public schools, public libraries and institutions of higher education and create a court pathway to remove materials only if a judge finds them legally obscene.

The bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Britney Miller, said the measure is intended to protect students’ access to information and to shield librarians and educators from political pressure and harassment. “This bill strikes a careful balance between protecting students’ rights and the public’s rights to access information and ensure that decisions about library materials are made based on educational merit rather than political pressure or personal opinion,” Miller said.

Supporters — including civil‑rights groups, school librarians and parent advocates — told the committee that book challenges and harassment of library staff have increased in recent years. Andre Wade, state director for Silver State Equality, said many challenges target books with LGBTQ+ themes and stories by and about people of color. “Having access to books and library materials is a First Amendment right,” Wade said, adding that librarians have faced threats and that outside groups sometimes attempt to coordinate challenges in Nevada.

Debbie Steers, collection development manager for Washoe County Libraries, described her experience defending challenged titles. “In reading these works in their entirety I did not find stories of obscenity as the challengers alleged,” Steers said, adding that staff must read entire works to respond to complaints and that challengers frequently excerpt passages to make their case.

Miller told the committee the bill would:
- prohibit school boards, charter governing bodies, library districts, municipalities and school employees or volunteers from limiting pupils’ access to library materials on bases such as race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability or political affiliation;
- allow reasonable time, place and manner restrictions for safety and preservation but bar policies that intentionally hide, label, shelf or destroy materials for the protected reasons above;
- permit individuals who live in a school district and have children attending a particular school to petition a court for removal of obscene materials only, where the court would apply the three‑part Miller test used by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine obscenity;
- require school boards and charter governing boards to maintain a list of materials ordered removed from circulation by a court and to share that list with employees who select and purchase library materials;
- prohibit retaliation such as dismissing, disciplining, transferring or doxxing school or library staff for selecting or circulating material that complies with law; and
- make certain retaliatory dissemination of personal information a category E felony if it is intended to facilitate criminal offenses likely to cause death, bodily harm or stalking or would cause a reasonable fear of such harm.

Opponents at the hearing said the bill would remove local authority from school boards and parents, would impose a high judicial threshold for removing materials they consider inappropriate, and objected to the felony penalty. Janine Hanson, state chair of the Independent American Party, argued the bill “removes parents and the community” from decision making and would make librarians “a virtual dictator unless someone has the money to hire an attorney and go to court.”

Officials from both county public defender offices testified in limited opposition, asking the committee to reconsider the proposed category E felony penalty and instead prefer civil remedies and organizational liability. “We believe a hefty civil penalty would be a better deterrent,” Paloma Guerrero of the Clark County Public Defender’s Office testified.

Several witnesses cited federal and state legal standards during testimony. Miller described the three‑part Miller v. California test for obscenity (whether material appeals to prurient interest by contemporary community standards, whether it lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, and whether it depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way). Other commenters referenced the First Amendment and existing Nevada statutes or case law during their remarks.

Supporters urged the committee to protect librarians and students’ access to a diversity of viewpoints. Linda Cavazos, a Clark County School District trustee who testified as an individual, said libraries “open up new worlds for our students” and that trustees and library staff should not be subjected to threats or intimidation.

The committee heard 30 minutes of support testimony, 30 minutes in opposition and 30 minutes in neutral testimony, with callers participating from Carson City, Las Vegas and by phone. No committee vote on AB416 was recorded in the hearing portion captured in the transcript.

The bill’s sponsor said she would answer committee questions and urged support. The hearing was followed by a committee work session on unrelated bills.

Votes or formal actions on AB416 were not recorded in the transcript excerpt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4/8/2025 - Assembly Committee on Judiciary","oneSentenceSummary","At a hybrid hearing in Carson City and Las Vegas, the Assembly Judiciary Committee opened discussion on Assembly Bill 416, legislation that would restrict removal or reclassification of library materials in public schools, public libraries and institutions of higher education and create a court pathway to remove materials only if a judge finds them legally obscene.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NV, Nevada","taxId",78440,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6611047,"Judiciary committee amends and advances several bills in work session; votes recorded",594,5978000,6572000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2900224-4c7082d80510b13ccd2a5dd551d4d592&start=5978&end=6572","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2900224-4c7082d80510b13ccd2a5dd551d4d592/thumbnail_5978000.jpg","/articles/6611047/Nevada/Judiciary-committee-amends-and-advances-several-bills-in-work-session-votes-recorded","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611047-4cc1ae999315de5b49cee2ba1b069e74/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137789&Signature=LXUeZR1hS~iDMZE4Wlmo1bJm0fQ~5xi37Bx-NbfGl~2mQYYjX4LMMt5DKRFg3a3rXSVlCSgOQHu66Sl2ShmKkAVYNuBNv0VnNLLKD5uLBCZP7qMIucdSrO387x89LKpgS6clzUS7sDT7nAtY9jQ8wtpYpcsL4jlMgtfqd-j~PVJ6ew5kZG-HCFaurfWm2a92h4F69kU0nf8rDCvK0AKENHS1NcV5r2Eh2diMSm7bNGBlwuvvswJzP~qnm~aTWi8thRAGualUzRqTZWKpuHwZfPOdE1bxeTB3rZHbZ6Mwbe3l5oBxAUXKe8DL0~h8CD7WfGeFk2rN7YRH8SDWOnJD0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Following the hearing on AB416, the Assembly Judiciary Committee convened a work session and considered multiple bills. Committee staff summarized each measure and committee members moved to adopt amendments and advance the bills to the next legislative step. The committee recorded motions, amendments and vote outcomes for each bill as follows.

AB159 — Establishes HOPE card program (sponsored by Assemblymember Hardy)
The committee adopted an amendment submitted by the sponsor to add optional content for the Attorney General’s office to include on a HOPE card for victims of domestic violence. Vice Chair Marzola moved to amend and the motion passed unanimously. The committee assigned a floor statement to Assemblymember Hardy.

AB201 — Expands sealing of certain eviction records (sponsored by Assemblymember Roth)
An amendment from the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers revised eviction sealing procedures, required landlord responses within seven judicial days and clarified the scope and automatic sealing circumstances. The committee adopted the changes on a recorded vote. Five members were recorded as voting no (Assemblymembers Cole, Urick, Hansen, Gray and Hardy); the motion nevertheless passed and a floor statement was assigned to Assemblymember Roth.

AB209 — Provides limited immunity for persons engaging in prostitution when seeking medical attention (sponsored by Assemblymember Orlicker)
The committee adopted an amendment that narrowed immunity to cover solicitation/prostitution charges only when a person seeks medical attention, removing broader immunity for other crimes where a person was a victim or witness. The motion to amend and do pass carried despite five recorded no votes (Hardy, Gray, Cole, Urick and Hansen). A floor statement was assigned to Assemblymember Orlicker.

AB291 — Revises criminal history record provisions (sponsored by Assemblymember Jackson)
An amendment deleted a section relating to sealing certain arrest records; the committee adopted the amendment and moved the bill forward. One member, Assemblymember Gray, was recorded as voting no; the motion passed and a floor statement was assigned to Assemblymember Jackson.

AB320 — Criminal justice provisions and pilot employment program (sponsored by Assemblymember Jackson)
Committee staff described amendments that replaced a section with a legislative declaration and authorized a pilot employment program rather than requiring it. The amendment and do‑pass motion passed with Assemblymember Gray recorded as the lone no vote. A floor statement was assigned to Assemblymember Jackson.

AB460 — Guardianship nomination and Nevada lockbox technical changes (sponsored by Assemblymember Gonzales and Senator Donate)
An amendment removed proposed fees and several expanded eligibility and appropriation provisions. The committee adopted the amendment unanimously and assigned a floor statement to Assemblymember Gonzales.

AB480 — Adopts a discriminatory‑effect standard for Nevada fair housing law (sponsored by Assemblymember Yeager et al.)
An amendment replaced the term “disparate impact” with “discriminatory effect,” added cosponsors and set the bill’s effective date to passage and approval. The motion passed; five members were recorded as voting no (Assemblymembers Hardy, Gray, Cole, Urick and Hansen). A floor statement was assigned to Assemblymember Nadine.

Procedural notes
Committee policy analyst Cesar Mogarejo read summaries of the bills and attached amendments before each vote. Vice Chair Marzola frequently moved the amendments and various members seconded; when individual nay votes were recorded the clerk read the names into the record. The committee assigned floor statements for each advanced bill to the identified sponsors.

The work session portion concluded after the committee completed the listed bills and returned to public comment. Recorded votes and named nays are reflected in the committee minutes and were read into the record during the work session.","During a work session following the AB416 hearing, the Assembly Judiciary Committee amended and moved multiple bills — AB159, AB201, AB209, AB291, AB320, AB460 and AB480 — with recorded motions and vote tallies. Several amendments were adopted and floor statements assigned.","actionData","errors"]

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Assembly Judiciary hears bill to protect student access to school and public library materials

Judiciary committee amends and advances several bills in work session; votes recorded