What is HB 900? And the Complaint Book People vs. Wong

HB 900, also known as the Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources (READER) Act, is an attempt to regulate all material purchased from library vendors for school libraries, thereby restricting explicit books based on a certain criteria in the bill. 

An initial content review is due no later than April 1 2024 from library vendors and Jan 1 2025 by all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission will adopt the standards for school library collection development by Jan 1 2024. If book vendors don't comply, they are restricted from selling any books to public schools. 

The bill was passed into law on June 13 2023, and essentially moves to ban any books from entering the public school system that is deemed inappropriate under the law.

Middle Tennessee State University's The Free Speech Center categorizes book banning as censorship:

Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the United States, with children’s literature being the primary target. Advocates for banning a book or certain books fear that children will be swayed by its contents, which they regard as potentially dangerous. They commonly fear that these publications will present ideas, raise questions, and incite critical inquiry among children that parents, political groups, or religious organizations are not ready to address or that they find inappropriate.

A complaint filled by Book People Inc, VBK Inc dba Blue Willow Bookshop, American Booksellers Association, Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild Inc, and Commic Book Legal Defense Fund on July 25 2025 on the basis that it violates the 1st and 14th Amendments of the Constitution. 

Read the whole HB 900 bill here: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00900F.pdf#navpanes=0

Read the Book People v Wong complaint here: https://mediacoalition.org/files/litigation/book-people-v-wong-complaint.pdf 

Read more from The Free Speech Center from MTSU: https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/986/book-banning

 Renee Shelton

Succotash Book Reviews
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Disclosure and More Info: Most books found in the reviews are purchased by me and some have been given to me by publishers or the writers themselves. Some of my large cookbook library collection can be found on The Library Thing, which is a constant work in progress to categorize all my books. All reviews are independent and opinions my own. Any advertising helps support this site. :) Thanks for reading!