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Long floor debate on LB390 over school library tracking and parental access ends with bill advanced
Summary
LB390 would require school boards to adopt policies allowing parents or educational decision makers to access certain library information; the bill prompted an extensive floor debate over parental rights, student privacy and school autonomy and was advanced to E & R.
Lawmakers advanced LB390, a bill that would require each school board to adopt a policy giving parents, guardians or educational decision makers access to certain school library information and notifications about materials their child checks out.
Sponsor Senator Merman said LB390 is a transparency measure that "asks schools to have some form of method that can be put in place to notify parents of the books their children check out," and noted the committee amendment removed a requirement that information be posted online to accommodate smaller schools. He emphasized the bill does not ban books or restrict library collections.
Opponents spoke at length. Senator Hunt said she was "in strong opposition to LB390," calling it "busy work" that would add chores to school staff and argued it risks turning librarians and teachers into informants: "This bill...basically forces schools to spy on students. It turns librarians and teachers into informants, monitoring and reporting on what books students check out." Hunt also warned the policy could put LGBTQ+ students or other vulnerable students at risk if parental access led to outing or punishments at home.
Supporters framed LB390 as an extension of parental rights. Senator Conrad noted that Nebraska law already provides parents access to student files and records and said the bill is a garden-variety policy measure to balance parental guidance and local control. Senator John Kavanaugh asked and received clarification from sponsors that the intent was to limit access to books at the school the child attends, not district-wide; a proposed floor amendment to strike "district" failed on a roll call.
The Legislature adopted a committee amendment to strike the requirement the catalog be posted online, citing concerns about smaller schools’ ability to host online catalogs. The committee amendment passed by voice vote. On a roll-call vote later in the day, LB390 was advanced to E & R initial, 25 ayes and 2 nays.
Floor debate covered student privacy and public-records law, the practical workload for librarians and teachers, and protections for students in unsupportive homes. Proponents said local school policies and opt-in mechanisms could address concerns; opponents said existing local communication channels already allow parents to check on library materials and that legislating the requirement is unnecessary.
With LB390 advanced, sponsors and critics said additional amendments and clarifications could be considered before final reading.
