S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4745
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Libraries and Education Technology
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to additional  state  aid
   to public library systems merged after January 1, 2022
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of  section  273  of  the  education  law  is
 amended by adding a new paragraph o to read as follows:
   O. (1) A MERGED PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM SHALL RECEIVE SUPPLEMENTAL STATE
 AID  MULTIPLIED  BY  A FACTOR EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF PREVIOUSLY EXISTING
 PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS MINUS THE NUMBER OF MERGED LIBRARY SYSTEMS.    IF
 MORE  THAN  ONE  MERGED  PUBLIC  LIBRARY SYSTEM RESULTS FROM MERGING, OR
 MERGING AND RECONFIGURING  THREE  OR  MORE  PREVIOUSLY  EXISTING  PUBLIC
 LIBRARY  SYSTEMS, THE MERGED SYSTEMS SHALL DIVIDE THE SUPPLEMENTAL STATE
 AID.
   (2) A MERGED PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM MAY DESIGNATE ONE  CENTRAL  LIBRARY
 OR  CO-CENTRAL LIBRARIES IN ITS PLAN OF LIBRARY SERVICE SUBMITTED PURSU-
 ANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION. FORTY PERCENT OF THE  ANNUAL  SUPPLEMENTAL  AID
 RECEIVED  BY  THE  MERGED  PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM SHALL BE DESIGNATED FOR
 CENTRAL LIBRARY SERVICES. IF CO-CENTRAL LIBRARIES  ARE  DESIGNATED,  THE
 MERGED PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM SHALL DETERMINE THE PROPORTION OF STATE AID
 TO BE ASSIGNED TO EACH.
   (3)  ON  OR  BEFORE MARCH FIRST OF THE THIRD YEAR FOLLOWING MERGER, OR
 MERGER AND RECONFIGURATION, A MERGED PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM SHALL  REPORT
 TO  THE  COMMISSIONER  IN A FORM PRESCRIBED BY HIM OR HER ON THE SAVINGS
 ACHIEVED BY AND THE IMPACT UPON SERVICE DELIVERY OF  THE  MERGER.    THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL IN TURN TRANSMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE TEMPORARY PRESI-
 DENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
   (4) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH:
   (I) "MERGED PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN A PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09486-01-3
 A. 4745                             2
              

 
   (A) CREATED AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR BY  MERGING,
 OR  MERGING AND RECONFIGURING THE AREAS SERVED BY TWO OR MORE PREVIOUSLY
 EXISTING PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS;
   (B)  MEETING  THE  CONDITIONS  UNDER  WHICH PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS ARE
 ENTITLED TO STATE AID AS SET FORTH IN SECTION TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO OF
 THIS PART; AND
   (C) RESULTING IN A LARGER GEOGRAPHIC AREA OR LARGER POPULATION  SERVED
 THAN THE PRIOR EXISTING SYSTEMS AND RESULTING IN A DECREASE IN THE TOTAL
 NUMBER  OF  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  SYSTEMS  ELIGIBLE FOR STATE AID PURSUANT TO
 SECTION TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO OF THIS PART.
   (II) "PREVIOUSLY EXISTING PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN  A  PUBLIC
 LIBRARY  SYSTEM  PROVIDING  SERVICE  UNDER  AN  APPROVED PLAN ON JANUARY
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR.
   (III) "SUPPLEMENTAL STATE AID" SHALL MEAN STATE AID,  IN  ADDITION  TO
 ANY OTHER STATE AID.  THE AMOUNT OF SUCH SUPPLEMENTAL STATE AID SHALL BE
 TWO  HUNDRED  FIFTY-FIVE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  ANNUALLY FOR THE FIRST FIVE
 YEARS SUBSEQUENT TO MERGING, TWO HUNDRED FOUR THOUSAND  DOLLARS  IN  THE
 SIXTH  YEAR,  ONE  HUNDRED  FIFTY-THREE  THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE SEVENTH
 YEAR, ONE HUNDRED TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS IN  THE  EIGHTH  YEAR,  FIFTY-ONE
 THOUSAND  DOLLARS IN THE NINTH YEAR, AND THEREAFTER SUCH AID SHALL CEASE
 TO BE PAID.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.