bill letting state library grants pay for construction

The text as introduced · 398 words

89R4567 GP-F

By: Eckhardt
S.B. No. 422

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the award of library construction grants by the Texas

State Library and Archives Commission.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 441.135(b), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) The program of grants shall include one or more of the

following:

(1) system operation grants, to:

(A) provide basic system support services to

member libraries;

(B) provide coordination and enable cooperation

with the commission and with other libraries in a region; and

(C) meet commission and federal goals;

(2) incentive grants, to encourage public libraries to

join together into larger units of service to meet commission and

federal goals;

(3) establishment grants, to help libraries establish

consortia or cooperatives that will enable libraries to better

serve their communities;

(4) equalization grants, to help public libraries in

communities with relatively limited taxable resources to meet

commission and federal goals and qualify for library system

membership;

(5) public information technology grants, to help

public libraries make state, local, and federal government

information that is accessible through the Internet available to

the public through computers;

(6) competitive grants, to promote innovation by

public libraries and by libraries described by Section 441.1271(a)

and to encourage major resource systems or regional library systems

and libraries to meet commission and federal goals; [ and ]

(7) grants to aid local libraries, to provide

assistance to public libraries, and to help those libraries meet

commission and federal goals ; and

(8) construction grants, to encourage the

establishment of new public libraries or the improvement of

existing public libraries .

SECTION 2. Section 441.138, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as

follows:

(b) Libraries and library systems may use state grants for :

(1) materials ;

(2) [ , ] personnel ;

(3) [ , ] equipment ;

(4) [ , ] administrative expenses ;

(5) new construction, rehabilitation, or renovation

of a library or the infrastructure of a library and associated

expenses; [ , ] and

(6) financing programs that enrich the services and

materials offered a community by its public library.

(b-1) State grants may not be used for site acquisition,

[ construction, ] acquisition of buildings, or payment of past debts.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.