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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the award of library construction grants by the Texas |
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State Library and Archives Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 441.135(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The program of grants shall include one or more of the |
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following: |
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(1) system operation grants, to: |
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(A) provide basic system support services to |
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member libraries; |
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(B) provide coordination and enable cooperation |
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with the commission and with other libraries in a region; and |
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(C) meet commission and federal goals; |
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(2) incentive grants, to encourage public libraries to |
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join together into larger units of service to meet commission and |
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federal goals; |
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(3) establishment grants, to help libraries establish |
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consortia or cooperatives that will enable libraries to better |
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serve their communities; |
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(4) equalization grants, to help public libraries in |
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communities with relatively limited taxable resources to meet |
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commission and federal goals and qualify for library system |
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membership; |
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(5) public information technology grants, to help |
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public libraries make state, local, and federal government |
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information that is accessible through the Internet available to |
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the public through computers; |
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(6) competitive grants, to promote innovation by |
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public libraries and by libraries described by Section 441.1271(a) |
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and to encourage major resource systems or regional library systems |
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and libraries to meet commission and federal goals; [and] |
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(7) grants to aid local libraries, to provide |
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assistance to public libraries, and to help those libraries meet |
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commission and federal goals; and |
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(8) construction grants, to encourage the |
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establishment of new public libraries or the improvement of |
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existing public libraries. |
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SECTION 2. Section 441.138, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) Libraries and library systems may use state grants for: |
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(1) materials; |
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(2) [,] personnel; |
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(3) [,] equipment; |
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(4) [,] administrative expenses; |
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(5) new construction, rehabilitation, or renovation |
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of a library or the infrastructure of a library and associated |
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expenses; [,] and |
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(6) financing programs that enrich the services and |
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materials offered a community by its public library. |
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(b-1) State grants may not be used for site acquisition, |
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[construction,] acquisition of buildings, or payment of past debts. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |