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HB26 • 2026

PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representative Kathleen Cates, Representative D. Wonda Johnson, Senator Harold Pope, Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero, Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez
Last action
Official status
HPREF [1] not prntd-HRC API.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

What This Bill Does

  • PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-21 New Mexico Legislature

    Not Printed

  2. New Mexico Legislature

    Sent to HPREF - Referrals: HPREF

  3. New Mexico Legislature

    Action Postponed Indefinitely

Official Summary Text

PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0026

HOUSE BILL 26

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Kathleen Cates
and
Harold Pope
and
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez

and
Patricia Roybal Caballero

AN ACT

RELATING TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS; PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING AT
PUBLIC LIBRARIES; ALLOWING FOR PROCEDURES TO CHALLENGE CERTAIN
MATERIALS OR RESOURCES; PROHIBITING RETALIATION FOR COMPLIANCE;
ASSIGNING ENFORCEMENT DUTIES TO THE LIBRARY DIVISION OF THE
CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1.
[
NEW MATERIAL
] LIBRARIES--BOOK BANNING
PROHIBITED.--

A. Book banning is contrary to the public policy of
the state of New Mexico. A public library operated or funded
by the state, a county or a municipality shall not prohibit,
exclude or remove material from the library's collection or
other library resources on the basis of:

(1) partisan or doctrinal disapproval of the
material's or resources' content; or

(2) the intended audience's or the author's or
creator's race, nationality, religion, sex or gender, sexual
orientation, political affiliation or characteristics otherwise
protected from unlawful discriminatory practice in public
accommodation as provided in Section 28-1-7 NMSA 1978.

B. A public library operated by the state, a county
or a municipality shall establish a written procedure for
persons to challenge the library's inclusion of materials or
resources believed to be obscene, unlawful or incompatible with
the library's purpose.

C. The state, a county or a municipality shall not:

(1) interfere with a library's operation or
reduce a library's funding because of the library's compliance
with the provisions of this section; or

(2) terminate, demote, discipline or retaliate
against a public library staff member for refusing to remove,
restrict or discontinue library materials or resources when the
staff member's decision is made with a good-faith belief that
the staff member is complying with the provisions of this
section.

D. A public library that prohibits, excludes or
removes material from the library's collection in violation of
Subsection A of this section shall not be eligible to receive
state money.

E. The library division of the cultural affairs
department shall enforce the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2.
EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
provisions of this act is July 1, 2026.

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