SRES443-119

That the Senate— expresses concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferating threats to freedom of expression in the United States; reaffirms the commitment of the United States to supporting the freedom of expression of writers that is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution and the freedom of all individuals in the United States to read books without government censorship; calls on local governments and school districts to follow best practice guidelines when addressing challenges to books; calls on local governments and school districts to protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of educators and librarians to teach, including by providing students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books reflecting the full breadth and diversity of viewpoints and perspectives; calls for the return of all books removed from Department of Defense schools and libraries under Executive orders since January 2025; and calls for the repeal of Executive orders and rescission of directives that have enacted content-based and viewpoint-based restrictions on the freedom to read and learn in United States public schools and libraries.