Title: Library Stabilization Fund Act of 2020
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Library Stabilization Fund Act of 2020
This bill establishes and provides funds for a Library Stabilization Fund to assist libraries with responding to and recovering from the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19) pandemic.
Specifically, the bill directs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to allocate funding to states, Indian tribes, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. From these allocated funds, the IMLS must also make emergency library relief grants to state library administrative agencies with approved five-year plans, Indian tribes, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians.
Additionally, the IMLS must allocate funding to carry out activities that strengthen the ability of libraries to provide services to communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The IMLS may enter into arrangements (e.g., grants and contracts) and other forms of assistance with libraries, library consortia and associations, and institutions of higher education to carry out these activities.
Funds allocated by the bill may be used to provide support to libraries, such as by supporting general operations; paying staff; purchasing cleaning supplies; training library staff on the safe handling of library materials; providing access to computers and other technology; purchasing digital resources; expanding resources related to early education and literacy, distance learning, and workforce development training; and ensuring access to community services and activities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4181 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Library Stabilization Fund Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Coronavirus.--The term ``coronavirus'' means the 
        Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
            (2) Digital literacy skills.--The term ``digital literacy 
        skills'' has the meaning given the term in section 202 of the 
        Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101).
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 202 of the Museum and Library Services Act 
        (20 U.S.C. 9101).
            (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 202 of the Museum and Library 
        Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101).
            (5) Library.--The term ``library'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 213 of the Library Services and Technology 
        Act (20 U.S.C. 9122).
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 213 of the Library Services and Technology Act 
        (20 U.S.C. 9122).
            (7) State library administrative agency.--The term ``State 
        library administrative agency'' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 213 of the Library Services and Technology Act (20 
        U.S.C. 9122).

SEC. 3. LIBRARY STABILIZATION FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--From the amount appropriated under section 8, 
there is established a Library Stabilization Fund to respond to and 
accelerate the recovery from the economic crisis caused by the 
coronavirus and to address the social inequities that have been 
exacerbated during the crisis.
    (b) Allocations.--From the amount available in the Library 
Stabilization Fund, the Director shall allocate--
            (1) not less than $1,715,000,000 to the States;
            (2) not less than $45,000,000 to Indian tribes and to 
        organizations that primarily serve and represent Native 
        Hawaiians; and
            (3) not less than $200,000,000 to carry out activities 
        strengthening the ability of libraries to provide services to 
        communities affected by coronavirus.
    (c) Uses of Funds.--Funds provided under subsection (b) may be used 
to provide support to libraries--
            (1) to continue to provide library services to their 
        communities, including by supporting general operations, paying 
        staff, ensuring the ongoing functionality of libraries 
        (including by purchasing deep cleaning services and coronavirus 
        response supplies), and supporting the continued development 
        of, and training of library staff on, best practices for the 
        safe handling of library materials and ways to sustain 
        reopening and operations;
            (2) to safely provide access to computers, printers, 
        copiers, and other technology (including new and emerging 
        technologies) in libraries, to expand digital network access, 
        purchase and lend internet accessible devices (such as laptops 
        and hotspots), and purchase and lend digital resources, and to 
        provide technical support services for users in the library and 
        for those using borrowed devices remotely;
            (3) to strengthen and expand services and resources 
        relating to early education and literacy, distance learning and 
        education (including through partnerships with public schools 
        to ensure continuity of education and address learning loss), 
        adult education, job searches and resume building, workforce 
        development and skills training, economic and business 
        development, health information, digital literacy skills, and 
        financial literacy; and
            (4) to ensure access to government and community services, 
        cultural resources, and related functions and activities.
    (d) Administration and Oversight.--
            (1) In general.--From the amount available in the Library 
        Stabilization Fund, the Director may allocate not more than 2 
        percent of such amount for program administration, oversight 
        activities, research, analysis, and data collection related to 
        preventing, preparing for, and responding to coronavirus.
            (2) Reports.--From the research, analysis, and data 
        collection carried out under paragraph (1), including what is 
        gathered from entities receiving funding under this Act, the 
        Director shall issue reports to the Committee on Appropriations 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
        of Representatives detailing how funding under this Act has 
        been spent and its impact on improving library services in 
        communities that are served.
    (e) No Matching Requirement or Nonfederal Share.--Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, a State, Indian tribe, organization, 
library, or other entity that receives a grant under this Act shall not 
be required to provide matching funds or a nonfederal share toward the 
cost of the activities carried out with the grant funds.

SEC. 4. STATE EMERGENCY LIBRARY RELIEF FUND.

    (a) Grants.--From the funds allocated under section 3(b)(1), the 
Director shall make Emergency Library Relief grants to each State 
library administrative agency with an approved 5-year plan.
    (b) Allotments.--The Director shall make grants under subsection 
(a) from allotments to States in the same manner as the Director makes 
allotments to States under section 221(b) of the Library Services and 
Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9131(b)), except that, for purposes of this 
section, the minimum allotment for each State shall be $10,000,000, 
except that the minimum allotment shall be $500,000 in the case of the 
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
    (c) Uses of Funds.--A State library administrative agency that 
receives a grant under this section shall--
            (1) use the grant funds in accordance with section 3(c); 
        and
            (2) prioritize support through grants to libraries in 
        communities that the State library administrative agency 
        determines have been most significantly impacted by the 
        coronavirus.
    (d) Administration.--Not more than 4 percent of the total amount of 
funds received under this section by a State library administrative 
agency may be used for administrative costs.

SEC. 5. NATIVE AMERICAN LIBRARY SERVICES RELIEF FUND.

    From the funds allocated under section 3(b)(2), the Director shall 
make Emergency Library Relief grants to Indian tribes and to 
organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in 
the same manner as the Director makes grants under section 261 of the 
Library Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9161) to enable the 
tribes and organizations to carry out the activities described in 
section 3(c).

SEC. 6. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.

    With respect to amounts made available under sections (4) and (5), 
the Director shall waive the requirement, if requested by the entities 
funded under these sections, under section 223(c) of the Museum and 
Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9133(c)) relating to maintenance of 
effort.

SEC. 7. STRENGTHENING THE ABILITY OF LIBRARIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO 
              COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS.

    (a) In General.--From the funds allocated under section 3(b)(3), 
the Director shall carry out activities strengthening the ability of 
libraries to provide services to communities affected by the 
coronavirus and in accordance with the support described in section 
3(c).
    (b) Uses of Funds.--The Director may carry out the activities 
described in this section by entering into arrangements, including 
grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other forms of 
assistance, with libraries, library consortia and associations, 
institutions of higher education, and other entities that the Director 
determines appropriate.
    (c) Priority.--The Director shall prioritize support under this 
section through grants to libraries in communities that the Director 
determines have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus.
    (d) Applications.-- Not later than 45 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue a notice inviting 
applications for grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other 
forms of assistance under this section.
    (e) Allocations.--The Director--
            (1) shall allocate not less than half the funds made 
        available to carry out this section not later than 90 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) may make additional allocations on a rolling basis 
        based on the best available data at the time of the allocation.
    (f) Report.--An entity with whom the Director has entered into an 
arrangement under this section shall submit a report to the Director, 
at such time and in such manner as the Director may require, that 
describes the use of funds provided under this section.

SEC. 8. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated, and there 
is appropriated, $2,000,000,000, to remain available through September 
30, 2021, to carry out this Act.
    (b) Designated for an Emergency.--The amount under subsection (a) 
is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement 
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)).
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