House Bill hb0337e1

                                        CS/HB 337, First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public libraries; amending

  3         s. 257.17, F.S.; extending the repeal date of a

  4         provision authorizing operating grants;

  5         requiring the Division of Library and

  6         Information Services to facilitate the

  7         extension of free library services through

  8         interlocal agreement; requiring reports;

  9         providing an effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  Subsection (4) of section 257.17, Florida

14  Statutes, is amended to read:

15         257.17  Operating grants.--A political subdivision that

16  has been designated by a county as the single library

17  administrative unit is eligible to receive from the state an

18  annual operating grant of not more than 25 percent of all

19  local funds expended by that political subdivision during the

20  second preceding fiscal year for the operation and maintenance

21  of a library, under the following conditions:

22         (4)(a)  A municipality with a population of 200,000 or

23  more that establishes or maintains a library is eligible to

24  receive from the state an annual operating grant of not more

25  than 25 percent of all local funds expended by that

26  municipality during the second preceding fiscal year for the

27  operation and maintenance of a library, under the following

28  conditions:

29         1.  The municipal library is operated under a single

30  administrative head and expends its funds centrally;

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






                                        CS/HB 337, First Engrossed



  1         2.  The municipal library has an operating budget of at

  2  least $20,000 per year from local sources; and

  3         3.  The municipal library provides free library service

  4  to all residents of the municipality.

  5         (b)  This subsection is repealed on July 1, 2002 2001.

  6         Section 2.  (1)  The Division of Library and

  7  Information Services of the Department of State shall

  8  encourage and facilitate the exploration of the feasibility of

  9  forming public library cooperatives by municipalities and

10  county-designated single administrative units through

11  interlocal agreement in order to extend library service to

12  residents of both legal service areas. A municipality and

13  county-designated single administrative unit that explores the

14  feasibility of extending library service to residents of both

15  service areas shall submit recommendations on the progress

16  made toward forming a cooperative to the Division of Library

17  and Information Services by December 1, 2001. By January 2,

18  2002, the division shall submit a report to the President of

19  the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives

20  which shall include a status report on the progress of

21  extending library services by these entities and shall make

22  recommendations for any changes in law or funding as a result

23  of the report. The report shall also include a review of the

24  State Aid to Libraries program to determine what revisions, if

25  any, need to be made to that program to encourage and improve

26  the delivery of free library service to all residents of the

27  state. Finally, the report shall provide recommendations for

28  statutory and funding changes based upon the review.

29         (2)  This section expires July 1, 2002.

30         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

31  law.


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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.