The House Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 10 98 to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation, after rejecting an amendment that would have added explicit language allowing school personnel to consider grade-level appropriateness in selecting or retaining library and instructional materials.

The bill, as described by staff, would prevent licensed teachers, schools and school districts from prohibiting the selection, retention or use of library materials, textbooks or instructional materials solely because the materials "contain perspective stories or are created by individuals or groups that are members of a protected class under Oregon's antidiscrimination law." It requires removal requests to be made in writing by a parent or guardian of a student or by an employee of the school, to be reviewed by a district committee, and directs the Oregon Department of Education and the State Board of Education to issue guidelines and technical support. The measure declares an emergency and takes effect upon passage.

Committee debate centered on whether the bill simply restates existing nondiscrimination obligations or whether it would politicize schools, and on whether explicit grade-level language was needed. Representative McIntyre moved the dash-7 amendment, which would have added explicit language that school personnel may decide to retain or remove materials based on grade-level appropriateness and would require school or district committees that remove materials for that reason to document the factors considered and provide that explanation to the Oregon Department of Education when requested. The amendment failed on a roll-call vote (Aye: Representative Halbeck, Representative Wright, Representative McIntyre; No: Representative Mingle McDonald, Representative Ruiz, Vice Chair Dobson, Chair Chayo Hudson).

Representative Dobson moved the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; that motion passed on a subsequent roll-call (Yes: Representative Bingo McDonald, Representative Ruiz, Vice Chair Dobson, Chair Chayo Hudson; No: Representative Hovic, Representative Wright, Vice Chair McIntyre). Chair Chayo Hudson said the bill seeks to ensure that (1) outside groups cannot remove books single-handedly, (2) removal decisions follow an open process that includes parents, students and staff rather than unilateral action by a principal, and (3) removals are not based on a work’s association with a protected class. "This bill makes sure that the reason a book is not removed is not because it is by, about, or contains the viewpoints of a protected class," Hudson said.

Opponents warned the measure could intensify parental distrust or encourage removal efforts framed as protecting children. Representative Wright said he was concerned about "insight groups in the schools that make decisions for teachers that make decisions concerning libraries," adding he did not think administrators or librarians intentionally put harmful material in school materials. Representative McIntyre, who sponsored the amendment, argued the dash-7 language would "reiterate to all of the 550,000 kids that are in school that we're going to make sure that what they are accessing is appropriate for their development and education." Another member warned the bill "absolutely politicizes and weaponizes our school districts," saying it could use children as "political games."

Staff reported the Legislative Fiscal Office issued a minimal fiscal impact statement for the introduced bill and the Legislative Revenue Office issued a no-revenue-impact statement. The staff summary also noted that the bill would require a district review committee to process removal requests and that ODE and the State Board of Education would be tasked with guidance and technical support.

Representative Nelson was asked to carry the bill on the House floor. At the end of the meeting, Representative Harvick requested unanimous consent to change his earlier dash-7 vote; the committee granted the request and his changed vote was recorded as "no." The committee then adjourned.

What the bill would do: Staff summarized that removal requests must be in writing from a parent/guardian or a school employee and must be considered by a district committee; prohibitions based on a book's association with a protected class would be barred. The dash-7 amendment would have explicitly permitted consideration of grade-level appropriateness and required written explanations to ODE on request; it was defeated.

Next steps: The bill will move to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation and the committee plans an informational visit from the Quality Education Commission and QEM staff at a later date to review how the quality education model number is calculated.