Arkansas Act 372
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Arkansas Act 372 was signed by the Arkansas governor on March 31, 2023.[1] Sections one and five of Arkansas Act 372 expose librarians and booksellers to criminal penalties,[2] which includes up to a year in prison, in the case they distribute materials such as books, magazines, and movies deemed "harmful to minors."[1] On December 23, 2024 Judge Brooks permanently enjoined Sections 1 and 5 of Act 372, declaring those sections unconstitutional.
The primary purpose of Act 372 is to permit books in public libraries to be banned or transferred. It states that anybody may "challenge the appropriateness" of a book, although it does not specify what "obscene" or "appropriateness" means. According to the law, a panel of persons appointed by head librarians would assess disputed material and cast votes in a public hearing on whether it should be maintained on access to the public or transferred to a section of the library unavailable to individuals below the age of 18.[3] Act 372 also permits librarians and booksellers to face up to a year in prison if they allow children to have access to banned books.[4]