There are currently three bills in Congress that would permit widespread book censorship nationwide. All three originated from the House of Representatives. They are as follows:
- HR 7661, also known as the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act.” This would modify the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by prohibiting the use of funds under the act “to develop, implement, facilitate, host, or promote any program or activity for, or to provide or promote literature or other materials to, children under the age of 18 that includes sexually oriented material, and for other purposes.” It was introduced by Mary Miller (R-Illinois) in the days following the State of the Union address. It is currently on the House Union calendar, which means it is eligible to be heard in front of the whole floor, though, as of writing, it has not been scheduled.
- HR 2616, a nationwide “don’t say trans” bill, would require that any school receiving federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 require parental permission before using a student’s preferred gender, pronouns, or name on any school form or allowing them to use the bathroom or locker room that most aligns with their identity. The bill also prohibits teaching “gender ideology” in public schools receiving federal funding, as defined in Trump’s Executive Order 14168. Executive Orders aren’t laws, and in today’s conspiracy-as-fact landscape, it’s especially concerning that the targets are children. HR 2616 has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), after passing the House.
- HR 8705, dubbed “The CHARLIE Act,” would withhold funding from public schools that teach inclusivity, especially when it relates to race and gender. It’s an amalgam of the two previously-mentioned bills and would create the opportunity for rampant book bans (not to mention whitewash and straightwash American history). The bill has passed out of the House education committee, but has not yet been moved to the Union Calendar.
But House Republicans haven’t been the only ones rushing to erase queer people and their history from public schools nationwide. In late June, Republicans in the Senate developed their own companion bill to HR 7661. That bill, S. 4925, also called the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,” mirrors the language in the House Bill. It was introduced on June 24, 2026 by Senator Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana, and it was cosigned by Senator James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, as well as by Senator Tommy Tuberman, a Republican from Alabama.
The new bill was quickly moved to the Senate Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). This is the same subcommittee where HR 2616 sits, suggesting that the two bills may be combined or developed in tandem within the subcommittee.
S. 4925 would “prohibit funding for sexually oriented material” in public schools across the country. There would be a small number of exceptions, as outlined below:
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“(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the use of funds under this Act for, or otherwise limit or interfere with, teaching—
“(A) standard science coursework, including biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, cytology, genetics, ecology, human health, or human anatomy and physiology;
“(B) the texts of major world religions;
“(C) classic works of literature; or
“(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
“(A) CLASSIC WORKS OF ART.—The term ‘classic works of art’ means the works of art depicted, referenced, or otherwise represented in Smarthistory guide to AP Art History, volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (2019–2020), published by Smarthistory.
“(B) CLASSIC WORKS OF LITERATURE.—The term ‘classic works of literature’ means the works of literature (including translations of such works)—
“(i) included in the Great Books of the Western World (second edition, 1990), published by Encyclopaedia Britannica;
“(ii) referenced in the article ‘Classics Every Middle Schooler Should Read’ by Thomas Purifoy, Jr. and published by Compass Classroom (as such article appeared on the date of enactment of this subsection); and
“(iii) referenced in the article ‘Classics Every High Schooler Should Read’ by Mary Pierson Purifoy and published by Compass Classroom (as such article appeared on the date of enactment of this subsection).
As was the case with Mary Miller’s House 7661 bill, it appears that the only classic works of literature allowed in public schools would again only be those published before the year 1990–35 years ago–and those listed by the Christian homeschooling Compass Classroom publications. Classic works of art would be limited to those listed in one particular guide to the AP Art History exam and would not include art created post-2020.
Once again, the definitions of “sexually oriented material” are vague and intended to be as far-reaching as whoever interprets the potential law wishes it to be. The one exception is that it clearly calls out anything related to “gender dysphoria” and “transgenderism” [sic] as violating the bill.
The development of this companion bill is a flashing red light on the priorities Republicans in Congress have. When two nearly identical bills are proposed in both houses of Congress, that signals a desire to pass them quickly. The companion bill process allows for swift movement and can catch taxpayers off guard by how quickly a new bill is drafted and passed.
It was by design that S. 4925 was developed in late June, right before the Senate’s recess and the July holiday. It’s also by design that it was sent immediately to the HELP subcommittee, which also has HR 2616 in its hands. Both bills would strip funding from public schools for anything Republicans deem “inappropriate” when it comes to discussing gender and sexuality. Republicans do not want you to know that they want to steal more money from the public education system.
So what can you do? Right now, it’s crucial you get on the phone with your Senators and tell them to stop S. 4925. If your Senator serves on the HELP subcommittee, make that phone call as soon as possible. Time is of the essence right now, especially as four bills circulate that would do essentially the same thing: strip public schools of much-needed funds, silence educators and librarians, erase queer people, and lead to mass book banning in schools–and, as we know, this won’t end in the schools. Public libraries would likely be next, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see it tied to funding access via the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
It’s worth reaching out to your House Representative, as well, even though this particular bill–as well as the suite of other bills–is sitting on the Senate side. Point out that all of these bills aim to do the same thing and what the consequences of such bills would be.
Republican Congressmen are banking on citizen business and exhaustion during the quiet summer session to jam through bills like these that are wildly unpopular. For all of the talk of “returning education to the states”–and thus the dismantling of the Department of Education–Republicans sure are obsessed with deciding which things can and cannot be taught in those public schools from their offices in D.C. Meanwhile, so many of these same Republican representatives can’t bother to protect children from documented predators but instead, support their political careers and ambitions.