,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ebfa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #be1
 #bjbd,mr4 ,booker introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary of 
,education to provide grants to local   
educational agencies to cover the costs 
of challenges to determinations not to  
discontinue the use of specific         
instructional materials1 or the         
availability of specific school library 
materials1 in public elementary and     
secondary schools1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,fight ,book ,bans  
,act4  #b4 ,grants to reimburse certain 
costs of challenges to continued use of 
instructional and library materials  7a7
 ,definitions ,for purposes of this     
section3 7#a7 ,,esea terms ,the terms   
elementary school1 parent1 secondary    
school1 and ,secretary have the meaning 

given those terms in section #haja of   
the ,elementary and ,secondary          
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ghja74  7#b7 ,applicable program ,the  
term applicable program means any       
program for which the ,secretary has    
administrative responsibility as        
provided by law or by delegation of     
authority pursuant to law4  7#c7        
,covered local educational agency ,the  
term covered local educational agency   
means a local educational agency that   
has the duty and responsibility under   
law-- 7,a7 to select and provide        
instructional materials and school      
library materials for students attending
 public elementary schools or public    
secondary schools under the jurisdiction
 of the agency2  7,b7 to provide1 or    
participate in1 a process-- 7i7 to      
provide for resolution of an objection  
by a parent or other person to-- 7,i7   
the use of a specific instructional     
material2 or  7,,ii7 the availability of
 a specific school library material2 and

  7ii7 to discontinue the use of the    
instructional material1 or the          
availability of the school library      
material1 for any grade level or age    
group if the local educational agency   
determines that the material is         
inappropriate or unsuitable2 and  7,c7  
to provide1 or participate in1 a process
 7including any administrative          
proceeding or court case7 under which a 
parent or other person who disagrees    
with a determination made by the covered
 local educational agency pursuant to   
subparagraph 7,b77ii7 to discontinue or 
not to discontinue the use of an        
instructional material1 or the          
availability of a school library        
material1 may appeal1 or otherwise      
request reconsideration of1 the         
determination4  7#d7 ,instructional     
material ,the term instructional        
material means instructional content    
that is provided to a student1          
regardless of its format1 including     
printed or representational materials1  

audio-visual materials1 and materials in
 electronic or digital formats 7such as 
materials accessible through the        
internet74 ,the term does not include   
academic tests or academic assessments4 
7#e7 ,local educational agency ,the term
 local educational agency means a public
 elementary school1 public secondary    
school1 local educational agency 7as    
defined in section #haja of the         
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja771 or
 local board of education1 that is the  
recipient of funds under an applicable  
program4  7#f7 ,school library material 
,the term school library material means 
any material available to a student via 
the student's school library1 regardless
 of its format1 including printed or    
representational materials1 audio-visual
 materials1 and materials in electronic 
or digital formats 7such as materials   
accessible through the internet74  7#g7 
,student ,the term student means any    
public elementary school or public      

secondary school student4  7b7 ,grants  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary is     
authorized to make grants to covered    
local educational agencies to reimburse 
such agencies for the costs 7including  
costs such as attorneys' fees and court 
costs7 incurred in connection with a    
process described in subsection         
7a77#b77;,c71 if-- 7,a7 such costs are  
not reimbursed by the ,state or any     
other person2 and  7,b7 such process was
 initiated due to a determination by the
 covered local educational agency not to
 discontinue the use of an instructional
 material or the availability of a      
school library material4  7#b7          
,application ,a covered local           
educational agency desiring to receive  
an award under paragraph 7#a7 shall     
submit an application to the ,secretary 
at such time and in such manner as the  
,secretary shall require4  7#c7 ,maximum
 amount ,the maximum amount that a      
covered local educational agency is     
eligible to receive under this          

subsection is #ajj1jjj for each         
determination described in paragraph    
7#a77;,b74  7#d7 ,award process ,in     
awarding grants under this subsection1  
the ,secretary shall ensure that the    
award process is based on               
content-neutral and viewpoint-neutral   
criteria and does not take into account 
the content of the instructional        
material or school library material     
concerned4  7c7 ,authorization of       
appropriations ,to carry out this       
section1 there are authorized to be     
appropriated a total of #ae1jjj1jjj for 
fiscal years #bjbe through #bjbi4