Tennessee school and library book laws
Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act requires posted school library lists; 2024 law adds a state-level include/remove appeal.
Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act (SB 2407 / HB 2154, Public Chapter 744, 2022) requires schools to post library-collection lists and adopt development, review, and feedback policies. Materials that are not age- or maturity-appropriate, or not consistent with the educational mission, must be removed. HB 843 / SB 1060 (effective July 1, 2024) gives local boards 60 days to decide challenges; if they miss the deadline, appeal goes to the State Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, which can order statewide include or remove by grade. The 2025 Protect Tennessee Minors Act amends harmful-to-minors criminal law and is not itself a catalog-labeling statute.
Not legal advice. Confirm the enrolled text and any injunction before changing policy. LRS is informational and must not be the sole basis for removing books.
Bills and rules
| Measure | Year | Status | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 2407 / HB 2154 Age-Appropriate Materials Act (PC 744) Post library-collection lists; adopt development/review/feedback policies; remove materials that are not age/maturity-appropriate or not consistent with the educational mission. Includes classroom collections. | 2022 | In force | School libraries |
| HB 843 / SB 1060 State challenge appeal 60-day local decision on challenges; missed deadline appeals to the State Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, which can order statewide include/remove by grade. | 2024 | In force | School libraries |
How BookLooky LRS addresses the concern
- Posted collection lists plus LRS age bands are the core Age-Appropriate Materials Act workflow.
- Grade-band ratings and official-scan dossiers support local review and, if needed, the state commission appeal.
- LRS should not be treated as a statewide “no-read” order — only the commission can issue those.
Story theme scores (including LGBTQ+ representation) measure presence in the plot. They are not warnings and are not a lawful stand-in for “harmful to minors.”