H.B. No. 2540
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to allowing the Texas State Library and Archives
1-3 Commission to assist public libraries with public information
1-4 technology grants.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 441.135(b), Government Code, is amended
1-7 to read as follows:
1-8 (b) The program of state grants shall include one or more of
1-9 the following:
1-10 (1) system operation grants, to strengthen major
1-11 resource system services to member public libraries and regional
1-12 library system services to member libraries, including grants to
1-13 reimburse other libraries for providing specialized services to
1-14 major resource systems and regional library systems;
1-15 (2) incentive grants, to encourage public libraries to
1-16 join together into larger units of service in order to meet
1-17 criteria for major resource system membership or regional library
1-18 system membership;
1-19 (3) establishment grants, to help establish public
1-20 libraries that will qualify for major resource system membership or
1-21 regional library system membership in communities without public
1-22 library service; <and>
1-23 (4) equalization grants, to help public libraries in
1-24 communities with relatively limited taxable resources to meet
2-1 criteria for major resource system membership or regional library
2-2 system membership; and
2-3 (5) public information technology grants, to help
2-4 public libraries make state, local, and federal government
2-5 information that is accessible through the Internet or electronic
2-6 bulletin board systems available to the public through computer
2-7 terminals at a library.
2-8 SECTION 2. Section 441.135(a), Government Code, is amended
2-9 to read as follows:
2-10 (a) The commission shall establish a program of state grants
2-11 within the limitations of funds appropriated by the legislature.
2-12 The commission shall adopt by rule the guidelines for awarding
2-13 grants, except that any municipal library which lends more than
2-14 20,000 items per year to nonresidents cannot be denied any grant
2-15 awarded after January 1, 1995, based solely upon the provision of
2-16 services to nonresidents.
2-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-22 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-23 passage, and it is so enacted.