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DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed two bills. SB25-063 would create safeguards against book bans in public school libraries. SB25-143 would protect the biometric data of students and staff collected by schools.
“Banning books only harms our students, and it’s never been more important to preserve access to literature in our public schools,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, sponsor of SB25-063. “Knowledge is power, and schools shouldn’t take that away from students. Schools are for learning, and this important bill insulates our public libraries from D.C. culture wars and political fights by creating a fair process to evaluate a book’s inclusion or removal from a library.”
“When we ban books in our schools, we’re erasing the identities and perspectives of diverse thinkers and cultural thought-leaders from society,” said Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Unincorporated Adams County, sponsor of SB25-063. “We’re fighting back against attempts to remove books from libraries and silence the voices of marginalized people. The freedom to read is a cornerstone of democracy and muzzling what literature our students are exposed to is a slippery slope. When students have access to age-appropriate books that cover all topics, they’re more likely to be well-informed and critical thinkers.”
SB25-063, passed committee by a vote of 7 to 5. This bill would create safeguards against book bans in public schools by requiring local school boards to establish a written policy on the acquisition, use, and removal of library resources. The policy would ensure that any removal or restriction of a library resource follows a clear, fair, and consistent process. Without a policy in place, a local school board or the Charter School Institute could not remove a library resource from its collection. SB25-063 would also prevent discriminatory policies and protect librarians from retaliation.
“As technology continues to advance, we need to ensure that the privacy of our students and staff is upheld,” said Rep. Michael Carter, D-Aurora, sponsor of SB25-143. “Facial recognition technology can be a helpful tool for schools when locating a missing student or identifying a threat – but that biometric data needs to be kept safe and secure. This bipartisan bill protects and secures the biometric data collected by schools and ensures that they cannot use or share this information freely.”
SB25-143, also sponsored by Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, passed the committee unanimously. This bill aims to extend biometric data protections to students and staff. Without SB25-143, schools would be permitted to use facial recognition software freely beginning in June 2025. This bill reaffirms guardrails already in place to protect the biometric data obtained by schools of students and staff. The goal of SB25-143 is to maintain student privacy in an era where technology keeps advancing, while permitting facial recognition software in limited school safety scenarios.
Under the bill, schools are allowed to use facial recognition technology for a limited scope of school safety. This could include using it for locating a missing student or identifying a person of interest. SB25-143 would create an opt-in program for school districts and charter schools.