I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2256

To provide emergency assistance to local public libraries for the purchase

of books and other library materials and resources.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 1993

Mr. OWENS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Education and Labor

A BILL

To provide emergency assistance to local public libraries for

the purchase of books and other library materials and

resources.

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 ‘‘Emergency Book Fund

5 Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

7 As used in this Act—

8 (1) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

9 of Education;
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1 (2) the term ‘‘State’’ includes the several States

2 and the District of Columbia;

3 (3) the term ‘‘State library administrative agen4 cy’’ has the meaning provided in section 3(10) of the

5 Library Services and Construction Act; and

6 (4) the term ‘‘public library’’ has the meaning

7 provided in section 3(5) of such Act.

8 SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORITY.

9 From the funds appropriated pursuant to section 7,

10 the Secretary is authorized to allocate funds to State li11 brary administrative agencies for use in public libraries

12 within the States for the purchase of books and other li13 brary materials and resources in accordance with the re14 quirements of this Act.

15 SEC. 4. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

16 (a) ALLOCATION TO STATE AGENCIES.—From the

17 amount appropriated pursuant to section 7 for any fiscal

18 year, the Secretary shall allocate to each State an amount

19 which bears the same ratio to such appropriated amount

20 as the population of such State bears to the population

21 of all the States.

22 (b) ALLOCATION BY STATE AGENCIES.—From the

23 amount allocated to each State pursuant to subsection (a)

24 for any fiscal year, the State library administrative agency

25 shall allocate to each public library within the State an
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1 amount which bears the same ratio to the amount allo2 cated to that State as the population of the area served

3 by such public library (as determined in accordance with

4 regulations prescribed by the Secretary) bears to the popu5 lation of the State.

6 SEC. 5. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.

7 Any State desiring to receive an allocation of funds

8 under section 4(a) of this Act shall submit to the Sec9 retary a statement certifying that—

10 (1) the State library administrative agency will

11 allocate funds in accordance with the requirements

12 of this Act;

13 (2) the funds made available pursuant to this

14 Act will be used so as to supplement and not sup15 plant funds made available to public libraries by the

16 State;

17 (3) all funds made available to any public li18 brary in the State will be expended for the purchase

19 of books and other library materials and resources

20 that will be made available for use by the public;

21 (4) none of the funds made available to any

22 public library in the State will be expended for any

23 administrative expense; and

24 (5) the State library administrative agency will

25 submit to the Secretary such reports as the Sec-
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1 retary may require to verify that the funds made

2 available under this Act have been expended in ac3 cordance with the requirements of this Act.

4 SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

5 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere

6 with State and local initiative and responsibility in the

7 conduct of library services. The administration of libraries

8 and the selection of personnel and library books and mate9 rials shall be reserved to the States and their local subdivi10 sions.

11 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

12 There are authorized to be appropriated for the pur13 poses of making allocations under section 4 of this Act,

14 $250,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 and each of the 4 suc15 ceeding fiscal years.

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