Honorable Kevin Bailey, Chair, House Committee on Urban Affairs
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB239 by Alonzo (Relating to public use of computers in certain local public libraries.), As Introduced
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require a municipal public library in a municipality with a population of more than 50,000 to provide computers with high-speed Internet access for use by the public. The bill would allow the municipality to charge a reasonable fee for use of the computers. There are 48 municipalities to which the population limit would apply.
Local Government Impact
If the public libraries within an applicable municipality do not already have computers with high-speed Internet access for use by the public, they would incur costs for purchasing equipment and for access to an Internet Service Provider, as well as periodic costs associated with maintenance and upgrades. Necessary basic computer equipment (not including a printer) would cost approximately $500 to $800 per computer, and high-speed Internet access averages about $40 per month. Total costs incurred per library would depend on how many computers the library decides to make available. If the municipality were to charge a fee for using the computer, costs could be recouped.