Senate Bill sb1736c1

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    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 1736

    By the Committee on Governmental Operations; and Senator
    Fasano




    585-2416-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to state aid to public

  3         libraries; amending s. 257.172, F.S.; revising

  4         grant eligibility criteria for multicounty

  5         libraries; revising determination for and

  6         amount of base grants; amending s. 257.18,

  7         F.S.; revising eligibility criteria,

  8         calculation, and determination for equalization

  9         grants; limiting grants and grant amounts under

10         specified conditions; amending s. 257.22, F.S.;

11         removing a requirement for issuance of warrants

12         to political subdivisions eligible for certain

13         funding; amending s. 257.42, F.S.; removing a

14         limit on the amount of a library cooperative

15         grant; providing an effective date.

16  

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

18  

19         Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 257.172,

20  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

21         257.172  Multicounty library grants.--

22         (1)  The administrative unit of a multicounty library

23  that serves a population of 50,000 or more and serves two, or

24  has three or more counties, at least one of which qualifies

25  for an equalization grant, is eligible for an annual grant

26  from the state. The grant funds are to be used for the support

27  and extension of library service in participating counties.

28  The grant must be computed by the division on a state matching

29  basis up to $1 million in local expenditures by all

30  participating counties for operation and maintenance of a

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 1736
    585-2416-07




 1  library during the second preceding year. The administrative

 2  unit of a multicounty library with:

 3         (a)  Two participating counties is eligible for a grant

 4  equal to 5 cents on each local dollar of expenditure.

 5         (b)  Three participating counties is eligible for a

 6  grant equal to 10 cents on each local dollar of expenditure.

 7         (c)  Four participating counties is eligible for a

 8  grant equal to 15 cents on each local dollar of expenditure.

 9         (d)  Five participating counties is eligible for a

10  grant equal to 20 cents on each local dollar of expenditure.

11         (e)  Six or more participating counties is eligible for

12  a grant equal to 25 cents on each local dollar of expenditure.

13         (2)  In addition, to support multicounty library

14  service, the administrative unit of a multicounty library

15  with:

16         (a)  Two participating counties is eligible to receive

17  a base grant of $50,000, effective July 1, 2007.

18         (b)  Three or more participating counties is eligible

19  to receive a base grant of a minimum of $250,000. Such amount

20  shall be increased to $350,000 when the appropriation from

21  state funds for operating, multicounty, and equalization

22  grants is at least 3 percent more than the appropriation from

23  state funds for those grants for fiscal year 2006-2007 to

24  support multicounty library service. That amount may be

25  adjusted by the division based on the percentage change in the

26  state and local government price deflator for purchases of

27  goods and services, all items, 1983 equals 100, or successor

28  reports for the preceding calendar year as initially reported

29  by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States

30  Department of Commerce, as certified by the Florida Consensus

31  Estimating Conference.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 1736
    585-2416-07




 1         Section 2.  Section 257.18, Florida Statutes, is

 2  amended to read:

 3         257.18  Equalization grants.--

 4         (1)  Any county qualifying for an operating grant is

 5  eligible to receive an equalization grant if it meets the

 6  following criteria:

 7         (a)  The county was eligible for an equalization grant

 8  in fiscal year 2006-2007.

 9         (b)  When The value of 1 mill adjusted to reflect the

10  average statewide level of assessment is below the median

11  amount for all counties in the state and the per capita local

12  funds expended for library support during the second preceding

13  year is below the average for all counties.

14         (c)  The county operating millage subject to the

15  10-mill cap is equal to or above the average for all counties.

16  If the county does not meet this millage requirement, the per

17  capita income for the county must be equal to or below the

18  average for all counties.

19         (d)  The county has been eligible for an equalization

20  grant each fiscal year since fiscal year 2006-2007.

21         (2)  If a county fails to meet the eligibility criteria

22  for an equalization grant in any one year, the county shall be

23  notified that its equalization grant funding will be phased

24  out over a 3-year period as follows:

25         (a)  In the first year, the county shall receive the

26  grant amount for which it qualified the previous year.

27         (b)  In the second year, the county shall receive

28  two-thirds of the grant amount it received under paragraph

29  (a).

30         (c)  In the third year, the county shall receive

31  one-third of the grant amount it received under paragraph (a).

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    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 1736
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 1         (d)  In subsequent years, the county shall not be

 2  eligible to receive an equalization grant.

 3         (3)  An equalization grant to an eligible county is

 4  calculated in the following manner:

 5         (a)  The equalization factor is computed by subtracting

 6  the value of 1 mill adjusted to reflect the average statewide

 7  level of assessment for each county from the average adjusted

 8  value of 1 mill for all counties and then dividing that amount

 9  by the average adjusted value of 1 mill for all counties.

10         (b)  An equalization grant is computed by multiplying

11  the equalization factor times the total local funds expended

12  for library support by that county during the second preceding

13  year and adding that amount to the actual total local funds

14  expended for library support by that county during the second

15  preceding year. The result is the adjusted value for the local

16  funds expended for library service. The amount of the

17  equalization grant is equal to 25 cents of the adjusted value

18  of local funds expended for library service.

19         (c)(2)  When the adjusted mill equivalent of actual

20  local funds expended for library support by the county during

21  the second preceding year is above the statewide average

22  adjusted mill equivalent of actual local funds expended by all

23  counties receiving operating grants, the amount of the

24  equalization grant is equal to 50 cents of the adjusted value

25  of local funds expended for library service.

26         (4)  A county may not receive an equalization grant

27  that is equal to more than 10 percent of the total amount

28  required to fund equalization grants to all eligible counties.

29         (5)(3)  The Division of Library and Information

30  Services shall calculate equalization grants based on the

31  amount of local funds expended for library service the second

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    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 1736
    585-2416-07




 1  preceding year as certified by the appropriate county

 2  officials and information on the level of assessment of

 3  property in each county, and the taxable value of property in

 4  each county, the county operating millage subject to the

 5  10-mill cap, and the per capita income as reported by the

 6  state agency authorized by law, which shall certify the

 7  results of such determination to the division.

 8         (6)(4)  Equalization grants shall not exceed 15 percent

 9  of the amount appropriated for operating, multicounty, and

10  equalization grants, or $8,877,057, whichever is greater. If

11  the total appropriation for operating, multicounty, and

12  equalization grants is less than $31,999,233, s. 257.21

13  applies. For the purposes of this section, s. 257.21 does not

14  apply.

15         Section 3.  Section 257.22, Florida Statutes, is

16  amended to read:

17         257.22  Division of Library and Information Services;

18  allocation of funds.--Any moneys that may be appropriated for

19  use by a county, a municipality, a special district, or a

20  special tax district for the maintenance of a library or

21  library service shall be administered and allocated by the

22  Division of Library and Information Services in the manner

23  prescribed by law. On or before December 1 of each year, the

24  division shall certify to the Chief Financial Officer the

25  amount to be paid to each county, municipality, special

26  district, or special tax district, and the Chief Financial

27  Officer shall issue warrants to the eligible political

28  subdivisions.

29         Section 4.  Section 257.42, Florida Statutes, is

30  amended to read:

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                           CS for SB 1736
    585-2416-07




 1         257.42  Library cooperative grants.--The administrative

 2  unit of a library cooperative is eligible to receive an annual

 3  grant from the state of not more than $400,000 for the purpose

 4  of sharing library resources based upon an annual plan of

 5  service and expenditure and an annually updated 5-year,

 6  long-range plan of cooperative library resource sharing. Those

 7  plans, which must include a component describing how the

 8  cooperative will share technology and the use of technology,

 9  must be submitted to the Division of Library and Information

10  Services of the Department of State for evaluation and

11  possible recommendation for funding in the division's

12  legislative budget request. Grant funds may not be used to

13  supplant local funds or other funds. A library cooperative

14  must provide from local sources matching cash funds equal to

15  10 percent of the grant award.

16         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

17  

18          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
19                         Senate Bill 1736

20                                 

21  Amends s. 257.42, F.S., to remove the $400,000 cap for the
    annual grant for an administrative unit of a library
22  cooperative for the purpose of sharing library resources based
    upon an annual plan of service and expenditure.
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