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Virginia · 2025 Regular Session · Bill

SJ 251: Public school libraries; JLARC to study removal of books.

Passed one chamber Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SJ 251 is a bill introduced in the Virginia Senate on December 31, 2024. According to its official title, it concerns: Public school libraries; JLARC to study removal of books. Primary sponsor: Mamie Locke (Democratic). It lists 1 additional sponsor. Most recent recorded action (February 20, 2025): Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ251ER).

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

Study; JLARC; public school libraries; removal of certain books; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the removal of books from public school libraries in the Commonwealth between July 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, on the basis of such books containing sexually explicit content or other content deemed objectionable for the purpose of identifying each book removed and, for each book removed, (i) the purported reason for its removal, (ii) the processes and procedures by which each book was identified as containing content necessitating its removal and for removing each book, and (iii) whether applicable state law directing the Department of Education to adopt model policies and each school board to adopt policies consistent with such model policies was used by any school division to justify the identification, removal, or process and procedures by which each book was identified or removed. The bill requires JLARC to complete its meetings by August 1, 2025, and directs the chairman to submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations by October 1, 2025.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Mamie LockePrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate23
Ghazala F. HashmiCo-sponsorNot applicable (committee)——

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ251ER)
  2. Agreed to by House (55-Y 43-N)
  3. Rules Substitute rejected
  4. Taken up
  5. Committee substitute printed 25107606D-H1
  6. Reported from Rules with substitute (14-Y 4-N)
  7. Referred to Committee on Rules
  8. Agreed to by Senate by voice vote
  9. Read third time
  10. Printed as engrossed 25101466D-E
  11. Engrossed by Senate as amended
  12. Rules Amendments agreed to

Showing 12 most recent of 20 actions. Full history

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source