HR 7661 Would Tie Federal School Funds to Book Bans Including Transgender Titles and Classics

HR 7661, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, ties a school’s eligibility for federal education funding to the removal of specific titles from libraries and classrooms. The bill’s sponsors say it aims to limit what they call sexualized material in schools. Rhode Island passed a Freedom to Read law last year that bars politicians from dictating what students may read, setting up a potential clash between state and federal rules.

The bill conditions federal aid on schools removing any book that references transgender people, regardless of whether the text includes sexual content. It also bars books that mention human sexuality or nudity, with exemptions for the Bible, certain religious texts, science textbooks, and a short list of approved classics. Under those criteria, Steinbeck’s *The Grapes of Wrath*—which includes scenes of nudity and poverty—could be deemed ineligible, putting it at risk of removal from school shelves.

If enacted, schools that keep the targeted books would lose access to federal grants that support everything from teacher salaries to technology upgrades. Critics argue the measure infringes on First Amendment protections and could disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ students who rely on seeing their experiences reflected in literature. Supporters contend it protects children from inappropriate material. Legal challenges are likely, focusing on the bill’s vague language and its potential to override state laws like Rhode Island’s Freedom to Read act.

The House Education and Labor Committee is slated to vote on HR 7661 later this month; a successful vote would send the bill to the Senate, where its fate will depend on partisan negotiations and possible amendments.