Idaho Amends Book Ban Law as Ninth Circuit Ruling Looms

During the 2026 legislative session, Idaho lawmakers presented House Bill 819, which aims to revise the regulations concerning minors, educational resources, and library collections. This bill, which has the backing of Attorney General Raúl Labrador's office, is set to take effect in July. It specifies “adolescent minors” as individuals aged 13 to 17 and clarifies that materials deemed harmful do not include those with significant literary, artistic, political, or scientific merit. This development comes amid ongoing legal disputes regarding House Bill 710, a 2024 statute aimed at libraries distributing obscene content, which is currently challenged in court by NWAIS and Penguin Random House et al. v. Labrador. The Ninth Circuit has indicated that HB 710 may be “constitutionally overbroad.” John Chrastka from EveryLibrary raised concerns about its impact on the government speech doctrine, while Dan Novack from PRH is concentrating on the remaining legal challenges to HB 710.