Title: Public Library Innovation Space Act
Policy area: Arts, Culture, Religion

Summary:
Public Library Innovation Space Act
This bill requires the Institute of Museum and Library Services to carry out a program for making competitive grants to eligible partnerships (composed of a public library and an economic development corporation, a local government, a tribal government, a state government, an elementary or secondary school, a museum, an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, a corporation, and/or other entities) to establish makerspaces at public libraries.
A makerspace is a facility (which may be at a fixed location or a mobile unit) that is open to the public and provides individuals with access to (1) tools, technology, and educational resources designed to enable such individuals to create physical goods, including prototypes; and (2) educational opportunities, including vocational training and assistance with early-stage business ventures.
A partnership must contribute, for the activities for which the grant was awarded, nonfederal matching funds in an amount determined appropriate by the institute.
Each eligible partnership that receives a grant may not use its grant funds, or the matching funds contributed by it, for construction activities at a public library that would provide extra square footage to house a makerspace.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5967 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5967

  To amend the Museum and Library Services Act to authorize grants to 
support the use of public libraries for community economic development.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2020

 Mr. Lujan (for himself and Mr. Takano) introduced the following bill; 
  which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in 
    addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Museum and Library Services Act to authorize grants to 
support the use of public libraries for community economic development.

    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 ``Public Library Innovation Space 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Subsection (a) of section 214 of the Museum and Library Services 
Act (20 U.S.C. 9123(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) to carry out chapter 5, $10,000,000 for each of 
        fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''.

SEC. 3. PUBLIC LIBRARY MAKERSPACE GRANTS.

    Subtitle B of title II of the Museum and Library Services Act (20 
U.S.C. 9101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

          ``CHAPTER 5--PUBLIC LIBRARY MAKERSPACE GRANT PROGRAM

``SEC. 265. PUBLIC LIBRARY MAKERSPACE GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--From the amounts provided under section 
214(a)(3), the Director shall carry out a program under which the 
Director makes grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships 
to establish makerspaces at public libraries.
    ``(b) Applications.--To be considered for a grant under this 
section, an eligible partnership shall submit an application to the 
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
and assurances as the Director may require.
    ``(c) Selection of Grantees.--In selecting eligible partnerships to 
receive grants under this section, the Director shall consider--
            ``(1) the viability of the partnership making the 
        application;
            ``(2) the ability of the partnership to meet the matching 
        requirement described in subsection (d);
            ``(3) the potential of the project to provide social and 
        economic benefits to the local community;
            ``(4) the support of local communities, government, and 
        partners for the project;
            ``(5) the project's potential for strengthening the 
        involvement of diverse and underserved communities in 
        entrepreneurship and economic development; and
            ``(6) the ability of the project to continue after the end 
        of the grant period.
    ``(d) Matching Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible partnership shall 
        contribute, for the activities for which the grant was awarded 
        under this section, non-Federal matching funds in an amount 
        determined appropriate by the Director.
            ``(2) Waiver.--The Director may waive the requirement of 
        paragraph (1) for any eligible partnership that the Director 
        determines does not have adequate resources to meet such 
        requirement.
    ``(e) Reports.--Not less frequently than once annually, the 
Director shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
            ``(1) a description of the activities carried out with 
        grants under this section; and
            ``(2) an assessment of the effect of the grant program on 
        community economic development.
    ``(f) Treatment of Makerspaces.--The use of a makerspace supported 
by a grant under this section shall not be treated as a private 
business use under section 141(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
    ``(g) Prohibition on Construction Activities.--An eligible 
partnership that receives a grant under this section may not use grant 
funds, or matching funds contributed by the partnership under 
subsection (d), for construction activities at a public library that 
would provide extra square footage to house a makerspace.
    ``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible 
        partnership' means a partnership that includes a public library 
        and--
                    ``(A) an economic development corporation;
                    ``(B) a local government;
                    ``(C) a tribal government;
                    ``(D) a State government;
                    ``(E) an elementary school or secondary school (as 
                such terms are defined in section 8101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801));
                    ``(F) a museum;
                    ``(G) an institution of higher education (as such 
                term is defined in section 102 of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002));
                    ``(H) a nonprofit organization;
                    ``(I) a corporation;
                    ``(J) other entities identified by the Director; or
                    ``(K) a combination of entities described in any of 
                subparagraphs (A) through (I).
            ``(2) Makerspace.--The term `makerspace' means a facility 
        (which may be a facility at a fixed location or a mobile unit) 
        that is open to the public and provides individuals with access 
        to--
                    ``(A) tools, technology, and educational resources 
                that are designed to enable such individuals to create 
                physical goods, including prototypes; and
                    ``(B) educational opportunities, including 
                vocational training and assistance with early-stage 
                business ventures.''.
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