Florida Senate - 2011 SB 1148 By Senator Dean 3-01562-11 20111148__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to operating grants for public 3 libraries; amending s. 257.17, F.S.; authorizing the 4 Department of State to waive certain operating-grant 5 eligibility requirements for a specified period of 6 time for a library administrative unit located in a 7 rural area of critical economic concern; providing an 8 effective date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 13 257.17, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 14 257.17 Operating grants.—A political subdivision that has 15 been designated by a county or municipality as the single 16 library administrative unit is eligible to receive from the 17 state an annual operating grant of not more than 25 percent of 18 all local funds expended by that political subdivision during 19 the second preceding fiscal year for the operation and 20 maintenance of a library, under the following conditions: 21 (2) The library established or maintained by such political 22 subdivision shall: 23 (a) Be operated under a single administrative head who is 24 an employee of the single library administrative unit and who 25 has completed a library education program accredited by the 26 American Library Association. The single administrative head 27 shall have at least 2 years of full-time paid professional 28 experience, after completing the library education program, in a 29 public library that is open to the public for a minimum of 40 30 hours per week. The department may waive the requirements of 31 this paragraph for a period not to exceed 4 years on behalf of a 32 single library administrative unit in a county or municipality 33 that is designated as a rural area of critical economic concern 34 pursuant to s. 288.0656 and is unable to employ an 35 administrative head who meets the requirements of this 36 paragraph. 37 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.