There are currently three bills in Congress that would allow widespread book censorship across the country. All three originated from the House of Representatives. They are as follows:
- HR 7661, also known as the “Preventing Sexual Exploitation of Children Act”. It would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, thereby banning the use of funds under the Act to “develop, implement, facilitate, host, or promote any program or activity for children under the age of 18, or to provide or promote literature or other materials, including sexually oriented materials, and for other purposes.” It was introduced by Mary Miller (R-Illinois) days after the State of the Union address. It is currently on the House Union Calendar, meaning it is eligible to be heard before the full House, however, at the time of writing, it has not been scheduled.
- HR 2616, a nationwide “don’t say trans” bill, would require that any school receiving federal funding 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 closely matches their identity. The bill also bans teaching “gender ideology” in public schools that receive federal funding. Defined in Trump’s Executive Order 14168. Executive orders are not laws, and in today’s conspiracy-as-fact scenario, it is of particular concern if the targets are children. After passing the House, HR 2616 has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).
- HR 8705What is being called “The Charlie Act” would stop funding to public schools that teach inclusivity, especially as it relates to race and gender. This is a hybrid of the two bills mentioned earlier and would create the opportunity to ban books on a large scale (not to mention whitewash and outright sanitize American history). The bill has passed the House Education Committee, but has not yet been moved to the Central Calendar.
But House Republicans are not alone in trying to erase gay people and their history from public schools across the country. In late June, Republicans in the Senate developed their own companion bill to HR 7661. that bill, S. 4925Also called the “Prevent Sexualization of Children Act”, mirrors the language of the House bill. It was introduced on June 24, 2026, by Senator Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana, and was co-signed by Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, as well as Senator Tommy Tuberman, a Republican from Alabama.
The new bill was immediately 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 could be combined or developed together within the subcommittee.
S. 4925 would “prohibit funding for sexually oriented material” in public schools nationwide. There will be a small number of exceptions, as explained below:
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“(2) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this sub-section shall be construed to prohibit, or otherwise limit or interfere with, the use of funds for teaching under this Act—
“(A) The standard science curriculum, including biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, cytology, genetics, ecology, human health, or human anatomy and physiology;
“(b) texts of major world religions;
“(c) classic works of literature; or
“(3) Definitions.—In this sub-section:
“(a) Classic Works of Art. – The term ‘classic works of art’ means works of art depicted, referenced, or otherwise displayed in the 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 works of literature (including translations of such works) –
“(i) included in the Great Books of the Western World (2nd edition, 1990) published by Encyclopædia Britannica;
“(ii) referenced in the article ‘Classics Every Middle Schooler Should Read’ written 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 Pearson 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 will again be those published 1990–35 years ago and cataloged by Christian homeschooling Compass Classroom Publications. Classic works of art will be limited to those listed in a special guide for the AP Art History exam and will not include art created after 2020.
Once again, the definitions of “sexually oriented material” are vague and intended to be as far-reaching as anyone interpreting the potential law wants. One exception is that it explicitly states anything related to “gender dysphoria” and “transgenderism” (sic) is a violation of the bill.
The development of this companion bill is a flashing red light On the priorities of Republicans in Congress. When two nearly identical bills are proposed in both houses of Congress, it signals a desire to pass them quickly. The companion bill process allows the process to move faster and may surprise taxpayers with how quickly a new bill is drafted and passed.
It was by design that S.4925 was developed in late June, just before the Senate recess and July holidays. As designed, it was immediately referred to the House Assistance Subcommittee, which also has HR 2616. Both bills would strip funding from public schools for anything Republicans deem “inappropriate” when it comes to discussing gender and sexuality. Republicans don’t want you to know that they want to steal more money from the public education system.
So what can you do? Right now, it is important that you talk to your senators on the phone and tell them about S. Ask 4925 to stop. If your senator serves support subcommitteeMake that phone call as soon as possible. Timing is of the essence right now, especially with four bills circulating that would do essentially the same thing: deprive public schools of much-needed funding, silence teachers and librarians, erase gay people, and ban books from schools en masse — and, as we know, it won’t end up in schools. Public libraries will likely be next, and it would not be shocking to see this linked to access to funds through the institution of museum and library services.
It’s worth reaching out to your House representative, even if this particular bill – as well as the suite of other bills – favors the Senate. Explain that the purpose of all these bills is to do the same thing and what will be the consequences of such bills.
Republican congressmen are relying on citizen business and exhaustion during the quiet summer session to pass such highly unpopular bills. Despite all the talk of “returning education to the states” and thus abolishing the Department of Education, Republicans are certainly busy deciding which things can and cannot be taught in those public schools from their offices in D.C. Meanwhile, many of these Republican representatives can’t be bothered to protect children from documentary predators, but instead, support their political careers and ambitions.
