Library Content Bill Faces Skepticism During North Dakota Committee Hearing

(Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(By: Michael Achterling. North Dakota Monitor) – The chief sponsor of a library content bill faced bipartisan pushback Thursday from legislators who questioned the need for the bill, a lack of engagement with librarians and outdated data.

North Dakota Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, appeared before the House Appropriations Committee to discuss Senate Bill 2307.

The bill would require school and public libraries to relocate books deemed “sexually explicit” to areas not easily accessible by minors.

The bill also proposes that local state’s attorneys would investigate and prosecute violations, and state funds could be withheld from schools or libraries in violation.

A fiscal note estimates it would cost the state about $2 million through 2029 to comply with the bill. That’s the estimated cost to add an age-verification system for an online database used by North Dakota libraries