Idaho Lawmaker Proposes Changes to Library Book Restriction Law

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A Republican Idaho lawmaker has proposed two bills that would make significant changes to a law he pushed for two years ago that forced Idaho public and school libraries to move materials deemed harmful to children, or face lawsuits. The new bill, House Bill 796, aims to address issues raised in recent lawsuits against the original law, including by defining a class of 'adolescent minors' and clarifying what materials should be considered 'harmful to minors'.

Why it matters

The original 2024 law faced backlash and lawsuits from book publishers, authors, libraries, and parents who argued it was overly broad and unconstitutional. The proposed changes are an attempt by the lawmaker to address the legal challenges while still restricting certain materials in public libraries and schools.

The details

The key changes in the new bill include: overhauling the definition of 'sexual conduct' to remove language declaring 'any act of homosexuality' as sexual conduct; adding a definition for 'adolescent minors' aged 13-17; changing the legal test for determining if content is 'harmful to minors' to a more holistic evaluation; and adding an exemption for materials with 'serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for adolescent minors'.

• The original law was passed by the Idaho Legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Little in 2024.
• The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that private schools and libraries showed their argument the original law's 'context clause' was overly broad had a 'likelihood of success'.
• Rep. Jaron Crane introduced the new bills, House Bill 796, on Friday, February 28, 2026.

What’s next

The new bills introduced by Rep. Crane will now go through the legislative process in the Idaho House and Senate.