Protect Texas Public Libraries, Stop SB 2101

Senate Bill 2101, will be heard in the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee at 9am on Monday, April 28, 2025. Like its identical companion bill, House Bill 3225, Senate Bill 2101 is what Texas Freedom to Read Project cofounder, Frank Strong, describes as "a screaming red alarm for people who care about books, about the freedom to read, or about libraries."

What can we do?

First, educate yourself on the potential harms and impacts to Texas public libraries, if SB 2101, or the identical companion bill, HB 3225, becomes state law. Essentially, these bills would put Texas public libraries in the impossible position of having to age verify every patron, in order to to ensure no one under the age of 18 can access books or materials deemed "sexually explicit," as broadly defined by the bills. A similar bill in Idaho, has forced public libraries to ban unaccompanied minors from accessing the library all together, because they cannot logistically comply with the overly restrictive requirements of the law in any other way. You can read more about why we believe these bills are bad for Texas families and Texas libraries, here. 

Make plans to testify in-person, in Austin.

The Senate State Affairs committee meeting is scheduled to hear SB 2101 in the Senate Chamber, at 9AM on Monday, April 28. Whether you come to speak, or just to listen in person in solidarity with speakers, please wear BLUE for BOOKS! (or your favorite freedom to read loving apparel!) 

Reminders: 

1. • Paid parking is available at the Capitol Parking Garage. 
   • Witnesses must register on a kiosk outside of the meeting room, usually prior to the beginning of the meeting. 
   • Witnesses will have 2 minutes to speak. You will need to state your name and whether you are "for" "against" or "on" (neutral) the bill you wish to speak on. It is best to prepare and practice heartfelt remarks ahead of time. Be prepared that committee members may ask questions of speakers, and it is okay to tell if you do not know an answer to their question. 
   • Be prepared to wait all day for your turn to speak. Bring water, snacks, chargers, money for food, your patience, and 25 copies of written testimony to submit to supplement your verbal testimony, and in case you need to leave before you are called to testify. 

Call the members of the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee (or at least the chair, co-chair, your senator if they are on the committee).

Tell the senators why you oppose SB 2101, and ask them to do the same. 

Here's a sample script you can use when contacting the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee Members or your representatives- be sure to personalize it for your individual use! 

"Hi, my name is {first name}. I am calling to ask Senator {insert name} to oppose SB 2101 that will be heard by the State Affairs Committee on Monday. For years, we have been told that books being removed from public school libraries and classrooms, are not book bans, because parents and students can find those books at their local public library. Now, this bill is proposing to restrict our kids' access to books in our local public libraries, too. As the bill is written, there is not even an option for parents to opt out of the restricted access for their own children. Parents- not the government- should determine what books are and are not appropriate for {our/their} own children to read. Please protect Texas parent's rights, and do not vote SB 2101 out of committee."

Email the members of the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee. 

You can find the individual committee members' names, phone numbers, and email addresses here, or you can use the template on our website to send an email to all of the committee members with a few easy clicks. We strongly encourage you to personalize the template email and/or subject line to maximize individual impact! 

CLICK HERE TO SEND AN EMAIL TO OPPOSE SB 2101!

Finally, we would love for you to let us know what actions you're going to take to help us stop SB 2101! Fill out this volunteer form and let us know if we can plan to see you at the Capitol in Austin on Monday, if you're making phone calls, or sending emails! We know the freedom to read is under attack in Texas, and that no one is coming to save us. Taking action to oppose these awful bills that undermine our first amendment rights and our democracy is how we save ourselves!