II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4181 

To establish a Library Stabilization Fund to respond to and accelerate the 

recovery from coronavirus. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 2, 2020 

Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. 

UDALL, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. HEINRICH, 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. HIRONO, and Mr. 

MARKEY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a Library Stabilization Fund to respond to 

and accelerate the recovery from coronavirus. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Library Stabilization 

5 Fund Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) CORONAVIRUS.—The term ‘‘coronavirus’’ 

9 means the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19). 


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1 (2) DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS.—The term 

2 ‘‘digital literacy skills’’ has the meaning given the 

3 term in section 202 of the Museum and Library 

4 Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101). 

5 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ has the 

6 meaning given the term in section 202 of the Mu7 seum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101). 

8 (4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

9 has the meaning given the term in section 202 of the 

10 Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101). 

11 (5) LIBRARY.—The term ‘‘library’’ has the 

12 meaning given the term in section 213 of the Li13 brary Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 

14 9122). 

15 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean16 ing given the term in section 213 of the Library 

17 Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9122). 

18 (7) STATE LIBRARY ADMINISTRATIVE AGEN19 CY.—The term ‘‘State library administrative agen20 cy’’ has the meaning given the term in section 213 

21 of the Library Services and Technology Act (20 

22 U.S.C. 9122). 

23 SEC. 3. LIBRARY STABILIZATION FUND. 

24 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—From the amount appro25 priated under section 8, there is established a Library StaVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:14 Jul 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4181.IS S4181

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1 bilization Fund to respond to and accelerate the recovery 

2 from the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus and 

3 to address the social inequities that have been exacerbated 

4 during the crisis. 

5 (b) ALLOCATIONS.—From the amount available in 

6 the Library Stabilization Fund, the Director shall allo7 cate— 

8 (1) not less than $1,715,000,000 to the States; 

9 (2) not less than $45,000,000 to Indian tribes 

10 and to organizations that primarily serve and rep11 resent Native Hawaiians; and 

12 (3) not less than $200,000,000 to carry out ac13 tivities strengthening the ability of libraries to pro14 vide services to communities affected by coronavirus. 

15 (c) USES OF FUNDS.—Funds provided under sub16 section (b) may be used to provide support to libraries— 

17 (1) to continue to provide library services to 

18 their communities, including by supporting general 

19 operations, paying staff, ensuring the ongoing 

20 functionality of libraries (including by purchasing 

21 deep cleaning services and coronavirus response sup22 plies), and supporting the continued development of, 

23 and training of library staff on, best practices for 

24 the safe handling of library materials and ways to 

25 sustain reopening and operations; 


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1 (2) to safely provide access to computers, print2 ers, copiers, and other technology (including new 

3 and emerging technologies) in libraries, to expand 

4 digital network access, purchase and lend internet 

5 accessible devices (such as laptops and hotspots), 

6 and purchase and lend digital resources, and to pro7 vide technical support services for users in the li8 brary and for those using borrowed devices remotely; 

9 (3) to strengthen and expand services and re10 sources relating to early education and literacy, dis11 tance learning and education (including through 

12 partnerships with public schools to ensure continuity 

13 of education and address learning loss), adult edu14 cation, job searches and resume building, workforce 

15 development and skills training, economic and busi16 ness development, health information, digital literacy 

17 skills, and financial literacy; and 

18 (4) to ensure access to government and commu19 nity services, cultural resources, and related func20 tions and activities. 

21 (d) ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount available 

23 in the Library Stabilization Fund, the Director may 

24 allocate not more than 2 percent of such amount for 

25 program administration, oversight activities, reVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:14 Jul 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4181.IS S4181

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1 search, analysis, and data collection related to pre2 venting, preparing for, and responding to 

3 coronavirus. 

4 (2) REPORTS.—From the research, analysis, 

5 and data collection carried out under paragraph (1), 

6 including what is gathered from entities receiving 

7 funding under this Act, the Director shall issue re8 ports to the Committee on Appropriations of the 

9 Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

10 House of Representatives detailing how funding 

11 under this Act has been spent and its impact on im12 proving library services in communities that are 

13 served. 

14 (e) NO MATCHING REQUIREMENT OR NONFEDERAL

15 SHARE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 

16 State, Indian tribe, organization, library, or other entity 

17 that receives a grant under this Act shall not be required 

18 to provide matching funds or a nonfederal share toward 

19 the cost of the activities carried out with the grant funds. 

20 SEC. 4. STATE EMERGENCY LIBRARY RELIEF FUND. 

21 (a) GRANTS.—From the funds allocated under sec22 tion 3(b)(1), the Director shall make Emergency Library 

23 Relief grants to each State library administrative agency 

24 with an approved 5-year plan. 


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1 (b) ALLOTMENTS.—The Director shall make grants 

2 under subsection (a) from allotments to States in the same 

3 manner as the Director makes allotments to States under 

4 section 221(b) of the Library Services and Technology Act 

5 (20 U.S.C. 9131(b)), except that, for purposes of this sec6 tion, the minimum allotment for each State shall be 

7 $10,000,000, except that the minimum allotment shall be 

8 $500,000 in the case of the United States Virgin Islands, 

9 Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the North10 ern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 

11 the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of 

12 Palau. 

13 (c) USES OF FUNDS.—A State library administrative 

14 agency that receives a grant under this section shall— 

15 (1) use the grant funds in accordance with sec16 tion 3(c); and 

17 (2) prioritize support through grants to librar18 ies in communities that the State library administra19 tive agency determines have been most significantly 

20 impacted by the coronavirus. 

21 (d) ADMINISTRATION.—Not more than 4 percent of 

22 the total amount of funds received under this section by 

23 a State library administrative agency may be used for ad24 ministrative costs. 


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1 SEC. 5. NATIVE AMERICAN LIBRARY SERVICES RELIEF 

2 FUND. 

3 From the funds allocated under section 3(b)(2), the 

4 Director shall make Emergency Library Relief grants to 

5 Indian tribes and to organizations that primarily serve 

6 and represent Native Hawaiians in the same manner as 

7 the Director makes grants under section 261 of the Li8 brary Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9161) to 

9 enable the tribes and organizations to carry out the activi10 ties described in section 3(c). 

11 SEC. 6. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. 

12 With respect to amounts made available under sec13 tions (4) and (5), the Director shall waive the require14 ment, if requested by the entities funded under these sec15 tions, under section 223(c) of the Museum and Library 

16 Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9133(c)) relating to maintenance 

17 of effort. 

18 SEC. 7. STRENGTHENING THE ABILITY OF LIBRARIES TO 

19 PROVIDE SERVICES TO COMMUNITIES AF20 FECTED BY CORONAVIRUS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—From the funds allocated under 

22 section 3(b)(3), the Director shall carry out activities 

23 strengthening the ability of libraries to provide services to 

24 communities affected by the coronavirus and in accord25 ance with the support described in section 3(c). 


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1 (b) USES OF FUNDS.—The Director may carry out 

2 the activities described in this section by entering into ar3 rangements, including grants, contracts, cooperative 

4 agreements, and other forms of assistance, with libraries, 

5 library consortia and associations, institutions of higher 

6 education, and other entities that the Director determines 

7 appropriate. 

8 (c) PRIORITY.—The Director shall prioritize support 

9 under this section through grants to libraries in commu10 nities that the Director determines have been most signifi11 cantly impacted by coronavirus. 

12 (d) APPLICATIONS.— Not later than 45 days after 

13 the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue 

14 a notice inviting applications for grants, contracts, cooper15 ative agreements, and other forms of assistance under this 

16 section. 

17 (e) ALLOCATIONS.—The Director— 

18 (1) shall allocate not less than half the funds 

19 made available to carry out this section not later 

20 than 90 days after the date of enactment of this 

21 Act; and 

22 (2) may make additional allocations on a rolling 

23 basis based on the best available data at the time of 

24 the allocation. 


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1 (f) REPORT.—An entity with whom the Director has 

2 entered into an arrangement under this section shall sub3 mit a report to the Director, at such time and in such 

4 manner as the Director may require, that describes the 

5 use of funds provided under this section. 

6 SEC. 8. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro8 priated, and there is appropriated, $2,000,000,000, to re9 main available through September 30, 2021, to carry out 

10 this Act. 

11 (b) DESIGNATED FOR AN EMERGENCY.—The amount 

12 under subsection (a) is designated by the Congress as 

13 being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 

14 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 

15 Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)). 

Æ 


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