AUSTIN (KXAN) — The protracted legal dispute over a contentious Texas law appears to be nearing its conclusion after a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the legislation is unconstitutional. This decision, consistent with previous findings by an appeals court, marks the third instance where the law has been struck down by federal courts.

The legislation in question, known as House Bill 900 or the “Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources Act,” was introduced in 2023. It aimed to mandate book vendors to assign content ratings to their publications. Additionally, it granted the Texas Education Agency the authority to override those ratings, with non-compliance resulting in the books’ removal from school libraries.

Unless Texas decides to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, this ruling represents the final significant development in the legal proceedings.