The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) urges you to take action about HB 25-1158, a bill that imposes unnecessary and potentially harmful restrictions on school library databases and research tools.

While the legislature wants to protect students from commercial advertising in educational materials, HB1158 goes too far and jeopardizes access to essential academic research, scholarly citations, and educational resources that students rely on for learning.

Under the “as-introduced” language of HB1158, any embedded hyperlink or citation reference in a school library database could be deemed a violation, even if it directs users to credible academic sources. Additionally, the bill allows any member of the public to report potential violations, creating an enforcement mechanism that may discourage schools from providing the best research tools due to fears of penalties.

If passed, this bill will:

1. Block essential academic tools by eliminating hyperlinks to scholarly articles and reference materials.
2. Disrupt student learning and research by removing access to citation networks and full-text sources.
3. Introduce unnecessary bureaucracy and enforcement hurdles that place schools and libraries in a difficult position.

Colorado students and educators deserve access to top-quality information resources. We must urge the Colorado House of Representatives to oppose HB 25-1158 unless significant amendments are made.

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