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Senate Bill 913 |
Senate Author: Brimer |
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Effective: 9-1-07 |
House Sponsor: McClendon |
Senate Bill 913 amends the Government Code to continue the Texas State Library and Archives Commission until September 1, 2019. The bill updates the commission's existing grant programs and requires the commission to design and implement a competitive grant program to assist public libraries, certain nonpublic libraries, major resource systems, and regional library systems. The bill requires the commission to continue to provide system operation grants to major resource systems and regional library systems and by rule to adopt, not later than March 1, 2008, a formula for distributing system operation grants that includes funding for basic system support services. The bill authorizes the commission to permit a major resource system or regional library system to receive money in addition to a system operation grant and to use the money for activities approved by the commission that meet commission and federal goals. Additionally, the bill requires the commission to design and implement a program of grants to aid local public libraries and authorizes the commission to provide leadership in collaborative efforts among libraries, museums, and other institutions to develop ways to provide Internet access to digitized cultural resources. The bill requires the commission and the Texas Education Agency to conduct a joint study to identify the needs of public school libraries and determine which needs each agency is best suited to address and to submit a joint written report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate oversight committees of each house of the legislature not later than December 31, 2008. The bill repeals provisions relating to commission certification of county librarians.