| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to state aid to public libraries; amending |
| 3 | s. 257.172, F.S.; revising grant eligibility criteria for |
| 4 | multicounty libraries; revising determination for and |
| 5 | amount of base grants; amending s. 257.18, F.S.; revising |
| 6 | eligibility criteria, calculation, and determination for |
| 7 | equalization grants; limiting grants and grant amounts |
| 8 | under specified conditions; amending s. 257.22, F.S.; |
| 9 | removing a requirement for issuance of warrants to |
| 10 | political subdivisions eligible for certain funding; |
| 11 | providing an effective date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 257.172, |
| 16 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 17 | 257.172 Multicounty library grants.-- |
| 18 | (1) The administrative unit of a multicounty library that |
| 19 | serves a population of 50,000 or more and serves two, or has |
| 20 | three or more counties, at least one of which qualifies for an |
| 21 | equalization grant, is eligible for an annual grant from the |
| 22 | state. The grant funds are to be used for the support and |
| 23 | extension of library service in participating counties. The |
| 24 | grant must be computed by the division on a state matching basis |
| 25 | up to $1 million in local expenditures by all participating |
| 26 | counties for operation and maintenance of a library during the |
| 27 | second preceding year. The administrative unit of a multicounty |
| 28 | library with: |
| 29 | (a) Two participating counties is eligible for a grant |
| 30 | equal to 5 cents on each local dollar of expenditure. |
| 31 | (b) Three participating counties is eligible for a grant |
| 32 | equal to 10 cents on each local dollar of expenditure. |
| 33 | (c) Four participating counties is eligible for a grant |
| 34 | equal to 15 cents on each local dollar of expenditure. |
| 35 | (d) Five participating counties is eligible for a grant |
| 36 | equal to 20 cents on each local dollar of expenditure. |
| 37 | (e) Six or more participating counties is eligible for a |
| 38 | grant equal to 25 cents on each local dollar of expenditure. |
| 39 | (2) In addition, to support multicounty library service, |
| 40 | the administrative unit of a multicounty library with: |
| 41 | (a) Two participating counties is eligible to receive a |
| 42 | base grant of $50,000, effective July 1, 2008. |
| 43 | (b) Three or more participating counties is eligible to |
| 44 | receive a base grant of a minimum of $250,000. Such amount shall |
| 45 | be increased to $350,000 when the appropriation from state funds |
| 46 | for operating, multicounty, and equalization grants is at least |
| 47 | 3 percent more than the appropriation from state funds for those |
| 48 | grants for fiscal year 2007-2008 to support multicounty library |
| 49 | service. That amount may be adjusted by the division based on |
| 50 | the percentage change in the state and local government price |
| 51 | deflator for purchases of goods and services, all items, 1983 |
| 52 | equals 100, or successor reports for the preceding calendar year |
| 53 | as initially reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the |
| 54 | United States Department of Commerce, as certified by the |
| 55 | Florida Consensus Estimating Conference. |
| 56 | Section 2. Section 257.18, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
| 57 | read: |
| 58 | 257.18 Equalization grants.-- |
| 59 | (1) Any county qualifying for an operating grant is |
| 60 | eligible to receive an equalization grant if it meets the |
| 61 | following criteria: |
| 62 | (a) The county was eligible for an equalization grant in |
| 63 | fiscal year 2007-2008. |
| 64 | (b) When The value of 1 mill adjusted to reflect the |
| 65 | average statewide level of assessment is below the median amount |
| 66 | for all counties in the state and the per capita local funds |
| 67 | expended for library support during the second preceding year is |
| 68 | below the average for all counties. |
| 69 | (c) The county operating millage subject to the 10-mill |
| 70 | cap is equal to or above the average for all counties. If the |
| 71 | county does not meet this millage requirement, the per capita |
| 72 | income for the county must be equal to or below the average for |
| 73 | all counties. |
| 74 | (d) The county has been eligible for an equalization grant |
| 75 | each fiscal year since fiscal year 2007-2008. |
| 76 | (2) If a county fails to meet the eligibility criteria for |
| 77 | an equalization grant in any one year, the county shall be |
| 78 | notified that its equalization grant funding will be phased out |
| 79 | over a 3-year period as follows: |
| 80 | (a) In the first year, the county shall receive the grant |
| 81 | amount for which it qualified the previous year. |
| 82 | (b) In the second year, the county shall receive two- |
| 83 | thirds of the grant amount it received under paragraph (a). |
| 84 | (c) In the third year, the county shall receive one-third |
| 85 | of the grant amount it received under paragraph (a). |
| 86 | (d) In subsequent years, the county shall not be eligible |
| 87 | to receive an equalization grant. |
| 88 | (3) An equalization grant to an eligible county is |
| 89 | calculated in the following manner: |
| 90 | (a) The equalization factor is computed by subtracting the |
| 91 | value of 1 mill adjusted to reflect the average statewide level |
| 92 | of assessment for each county from the average adjusted value of |
| 93 | 1 mill for all counties and then dividing that amount by the |
| 94 | average adjusted value of 1 mill for all counties. |
| 95 | (b) An equalization grant is computed by multiplying the |
| 96 | equalization factor times the total local funds expended for |
| 97 | library support by that county during the second preceding year |
| 98 | and adding that amount to the actual total local funds expended |
| 99 | for library support by that county during the second preceding |
| 100 | year. The result is the adjusted value for the local funds |
| 101 | expended for library service. The amount of the equalization |
| 102 | grant is equal to 25 cents of the adjusted value of local funds |
| 103 | expended for library service. |
| 104 | (c)(2) When the adjusted mill equivalent of actual local |
| 105 | funds expended for library support by the county during the |
| 106 | second preceding year is above the statewide average adjusted |
| 107 | mill equivalent of actual local funds expended by all counties |
| 108 | receiving operating grants, the amount of the equalization grant |
| 109 | is equal to 50 cents of the adjusted value of local funds |
| 110 | expended for library service. |
| 111 | (4) A county may not receive an equalization grant that is |
| 112 | equal to more than 10 percent of the total amount required to |
| 113 | fund equalization grants to all eligible counties. |
| 114 | (5)(3) The Division of Library and Information Services |
| 115 | shall calculate equalization grants based on the amount of local |
| 116 | funds expended for library service the second preceding year as |
| 117 | certified by the appropriate county officials and information on |
| 118 | the level of assessment of property in each county, and the |
| 119 | taxable value of property in each county, the county operating |
| 120 | millage subject to the 10-mill cap, and the per capita income as |
| 121 | reported by the state agency authorized by law, which shall |
| 122 | certify the results of such determination to the division. |
| 123 | (6)(4) Equalization grants shall not exceed 15 percent of |
| 124 | the amount appropriated for operating, multicounty, and |
| 125 | equalization grants or $8,877,057, whichever is greater. Any |
| 126 | reductions in equalization grants necessary to meet this |
| 127 | requirement shall be applied to all equalization grants on a |
| 128 | prorated basis. This includes grants subject to the 10-percent |
| 129 | cap or grants in the phase-out period. If the total |
| 130 | appropriation for operating, multicounty, and equalization |
| 131 | grants is less than $31,999,233, then For the purposes of this |
| 132 | section, s. 257.21 shall does not apply. |
| 133 | Section 3. Section 257.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
| 134 | read: |
| 135 | 257.22 Division of Library and Information Services; |
| 136 | allocation of funds.--Any moneys that may be appropriated for |
| 137 | use by a county, a municipality, a special district, or a |
| 138 | special tax district for the maintenance of a library or library |
| 139 | service shall be administered and allocated by the Division of |
| 140 | Library and Information Services in the manner prescribed by |
| 141 | law. On or before December 1 of each year, the division shall |
| 142 | certify to the Chief Financial Officer the amount to be paid to |
| 143 | each county, municipality, special district, or special tax |
| 144 | district, and the Chief Financial Officer shall issue warrants |
| 145 | to the eligible political subdivisions. |
| 146 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |