Rehabilitation Through Reading Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would create a new group called the Publication Review Committee to decide which books are allowed in federal prisons. Right now, prison officials have a lot of power to ban books on their own, but this plan would require them to get written permission from the committee first.
• The committee would include a mix of people like a professional librarian, a legal expert on free speech, and even someone currently serving time in prison. This ensures that different perspectives are heard before a book is taken away from readers.
• Under these rules, books cannot be banned just because someone in charge dislikes the message or finds the topic unpopular. The goal is to make sure people in prison can still access information and learn, which helps them prepare for life after they are released.
• If a book is already banned, people in prison would have the right to ask the committee to look at it again and potentially bring it back. If they file an appeal before a book is removed, the prison has to keep the book on the shelves until a final decision is made.
• Every year, the Bureau of Prisons would have to send a report to Congress listing every book they tried to ban and what happened with each appeal. This makes the process more transparent so the public and lawmakers can see how these decisions are being made.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.