Rehabilitation Through Reading Act of 2026

This bill would require the Director of the federal Bureau of Prisons to set up a Publication Review Committee within 90 days to approve or reject book bans in federal prisons. The committee would have at least 5 members, including the prison Ombudsman, a prison librarian, a person in prison custody, and a First Amendment law expert. The Director could ban a book only by sending a written request with a detailed reason and getting committee approval, and people in custody could appeal a ban. The committee would have 90 days to decide, could not approve a ban meant to remove a disfavored viewpoint or content, and a book under appeal would stay available until a decision. The Director would also report banned books and appeal outcomes to Congress each year.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Emanuel Cleaver Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors