This bill, called the Rehabilitation Through Reading Act of 2026, requires the Bureau of Prisons to create an independent committee to review any decisions to ban books at federal prison facilities. The committee must include at least five members: the federal prison ombudsman, a professional librarian, an incarcerated person, and someone with First Amendment expertise. Under the new rules, prison officials can only prohibit a book if the committee approves the request in writing, and books cannot be banned simply because prison administrators dislike the viewpoint or content presented. Incarcerated individuals can appeal book bans to the committee, which must issue a decision within 90 days, and any book under appeal cannot be removed from prison libraries until the committee makes a final ruling. Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons must submit an annual report to Congress describing all books prohibited during the previous year and the outcomes of any appeals filed.
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