BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 18

By: Hughes

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In recent years, a national 501(c)(3) organization called "Drag Story Hour" has hosted events in libraries across the country. The bill sponsor has informed the committee that several Texas municipal libraries that receive public funds and grants have hosted such events. S.B. 18 seeks to promote the responsible use of taxpayer money by denying state or other public funding to municipal libraries that host events where persons presenting as the opposite sex read books to children for entertainment.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 18 amends the Local Government Code to prohibit a municipal library from receiving state or other public funds if the library hosts an event at which a man presenting as a woman or a woman presenting as a man reads a book or a story to a minor for entertainment and the person being dressed as the opposite gender is a primary component of the entertainment. The bill prohibits the state or a political subdivision of the state from providing funds to such a municipal library for the fiscal year following the year in which the library hosts such an event. These provisions apply only to an event that occurs on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.