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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Book Fund
Act’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of Education;
(2) the term ‘‘State’’ includes the several States
and the District of Columbia;
(3) the term ‘‘State library administrative agen-
cy’’ has the meaning provided in section 3(10) of the
Library Services and Construction Act; and
(4) the term ‘‘public library’’ has the meaning
provided in section 3(5) of such Act.
SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORITY.
From the funds appropriated pursuant to section 7,
the Secretary is authorized to allocate funds to State li-
brary administrative agencies for use in public libraries
within the States for the purchase of books and other li-
brary materials and resources in accordance with the re-
quirements of this Act.
SEC. 4. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.
(a) ALLOCATION TO STATE AGENCIES.—From the
amount appropriated pursuant to section 7 for any fiscal
year, the Secretary shall allocate to each State an amount
which bears the same ratio to such appropriated amount
as the population of such State bears to the population
of all the States.
(b) ALLOCATION BY STATE AGENCIES.—From the
amount allocated to each State pursuant to subsection (a)
for any fiscal year, the State library administrative agency
shall allocate to each public library within the State an
amount which bears the same ratio to the amount allo-
cated to that State as the population of the area served
by such public library (as determined in accordance with
regulations prescribed by the Secretary) bears to the popu-
lation of the State.
SEC. 5. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.
Any State desiring to receive an allocation of funds
under section 4(a) of this Act shall submit to the Sec-
retary a statement certifying that—
(1) the State library administrative agency will
allocate funds in accordance with the requirements
of this Act;
(2) the funds made available pursuant to this
Act will be used so as to supplement and not sup-
plant funds made available to public libraries by the
State;
(3) all funds made available to any public li-
brary in the State will be expended for the purchase
of books and other library materials and resources
that will be made available for use by the public;
(4) none of the funds made available to any
public library in the State will be expended for any
administrative expense; and
(5) the State library administrative agency will
submit to the Secretary such reports as the Sec-
retary may require to verify that the funds made
available under this Act have been expended in ac-
cordance with the requirements of this Act.
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere
with State and local initiative and responsibility in the
conduct of library services. The administration of libraries
and the selection of personnel and library books and mate-
rials shall be reserved to the States and their local subdivi-
sions.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated for the pur-
poses of making allocations under section 4 of this Act,
$250,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 and each of the 4 suc-
ceeding fiscal years.
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