BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has issued Opinion 25-0069 clarifying that the term “access,” as used in La. R.S. 25:225, includes a minor’s ability to physically encounter or use sexually explicit materials in a public library.
The opinion interprets provisions created under Act No. 436 of the 2023 Regular Session, which addresses minors’ access to sexually explicit material in libraries across the state.
The request for clarification was submitted in May 2025 by State Rep. Beryl Amedee, who wrote that the St. Tammany Library Board of Control and other parish library boards lacked clear guidance from the Attorney General’s Office on how to interpret the term “access.”
Because the statute does not define the word, Murrill’s opinion applies its generally understood meaning, citing Merriam-Webster’s definition: “to be able to use, enter, or get near (something).”
The opinion states that libraries are required under La. R.S. 25:225 to adopt policies limiting minors’ access to sexually explicit materials and clarifies that “access” is not limited to checkout privileges. Instead, it includes a minor’s ability to physically encounter or use such materials.
Under the statute, library policies must include:
• Consideration of community standards when acquiring materials accessible to minors
• A library card system requiring parental selection on whether a minor may check out sexually explicit material
• Parental controls on digital content access
• A formal reconsideration process reviewed by the library board of control in an open meeting
The opinion also notes that libraries retain discretion in implementing these policies, including imposing restrictions such as requiring parental consent for checkout or limiting physical access to identified materials.
The statute's stated legislative purpose is to safeguard what lawmakers describe as the fundamental right of parents to guide and direct the reading, listening, and viewing choices of their minor children.
This is a developing story.
