Texas Seeks to Reinstate Controversial Book Rating Law, Raising Concerns Among Publishers
Texas state attorneys are attempting to revive H.B. 900, a controversial book rating law that was previously blocked as unconstitutional. The law, signed by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023, mandates that bookstores and vendors review and rate books for sexual content at their own expense before selling them to Texas public schools. Books deemed 'sexually explicit' would be banned, while those rated 'sexually relevant' would require parental permission for student access. The law was challenged by a coalition of bookstores and publishing associations, leading to a preliminary injunction by Judge Alan D. Albright, which was upheld by the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The state is now appealing, arguing that the law is a marketplace regulation rather than a regulatory overreach. 
