2023 -- H 5095 | |
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LC000277 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- STATE AID TO LIBRARIES | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Baginski, Vella-Wilkinson, Carson, Speakman, | |
Date Introduced: January 12, 2023 | |
Referred To: House Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 29-6-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 29-6 entitled "State Aid to |
2 | Libraries" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 29-6-2. Public library services. |
4 | (a) The general assembly makes the following findings: |
5 | (1) The Constitution of the State of Rhode Island Article XII of Education, Section 1 states |
6 | that it "shall be the duty of the general assembly to promote public schools and public libraries, and |
7 | to adopt all means which it may deem necessary and proper to secure to the people the advantages |
8 | and opportunities of education and public library services." |
9 | (2) Free public libraries are essential to the general enlightenment of citizens in a |
10 | democracy; |
11 | (3) Free public libraries provide for the cultural, educational, informational, and research |
12 | needs of all citizens; |
13 | (4) Free public libraries are an integral part of the educational system at all levels and a |
14 | source for vocational information and continued learning following the period of formal education; |
15 | (5) It is the responsibility of government at all levels to provide adequate financial support |
16 | for all free public libraries; |
17 | (6) Throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, public libraries across Rhode Island |
18 | have adopted creative strategies to support their communities through daily virtual programming, |
19 | free audiobook subscriptions, takeaway activity bags for youth, curbside book pick-ups, printing |
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1 | services, and limited indoor browsing. |
2 | (b) For each city or town, the state's share to support local public library services shall be |
3 | equal to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of both the amount appropriated and expended in the |
4 | second preceding fiscal year by the city or town from local tax revenues and funds from the public |
5 | library's private endowment that supplement the municipal appropriation; provided, however, the |
6 | state in any year shall not be obligated to match any amount from the endowment that exceeds six |
7 | percent (6%) of the three-year (3) average market value, calculated at the end of the calendar year, |
8 | of the investments in the endowment. The amount of the grant payable to each municipality in any |
9 | year in accordance with this section shall be reduced proportionately in the event that the total of |
10 | those grants in any year exceeds the amount appropriated that year for the purposes of this section. |
11 | (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, in fiscal year 2024, the |
12 | state shall pay each city and town a fixed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount appropriated |
13 | and expended by the city or town in the second preceding fiscal year from local tax revenues and |
14 | from the public library's private endowment that supplement the municipal appropriation for public |
15 | library services. The state may supplement funds from the American Rescue Plan Act State Fiscal |
16 | Recovery Funds. |
17 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- STATE AID TO LIBRARIES | |
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1 | This act would require that the state’s share to support public library services in fiscal year |
2 | 2024 be fixed at twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount appropriated and expended by the city |
3 | or town in the second preceding fiscal year, utilizing funds from the general fund supplemented by |
4 | the American Rescue Plan Act State Fiscal Recovery Fund. |
5 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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