S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  9652--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 27, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. REYES -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Libraries and Education Technology --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation  to  creating  the  Dolly
   Parton's  statewide library system of New York; and to amend the state
   finance law, in relation to establishing the  imagination  library  of
   New York fund
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  249-b
 to read as follows:
   §  249-B.  DOLLY PARTON'S STATEWIDE LIBRARY SYSTEM OF NEW YORK. 1. FOR
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE  THE  FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   A.  "PROGRAM"  SHALL  MEAN  THE STATEWIDE IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAM,
 DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK;
   B. "FUND" SHALL MEAN THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK  FUND  ESTAB-
 LISHED BY SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-BBBBB OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW; AND
   C. "QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITY" SHALL MEAN ANY EXISTING OR NEW LOCAL DOLLY
 PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY AFFILIATE.
   2.  THERE  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE STATE
 LIBRARIAN A DOLLY PARTON'S STATEWIDE LIBRARY  SYSTEM  OF  NEW  YORK  FOR
 PURPOSES OF DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, PROMOTING, AND FOSTERING A COMPRE-
 HENSIVE STATEWIDE INITIATIVE FOR ENCOURAGING CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO FIVE
 YEARS OF AGE TO DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING AND LEARNING.
   3. A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE CONTRARY, THE STATE LIBRAR-
 IAN  SHALL ALLOCATE MONEYS AS GRANTS TO PROVIDE AGE-APPROPRIATE BOOKS ON
 A MONTHLY BASIS, AT HOME, TO EACH CHILD REGISTERED IN THE PROGRAM,  FROM
 BIRTH  TO  THEIR  FIFTH  BIRTHDAY  AT NO COST TO FAMILIES, THROUGH DOLLY
 PARTON'S STATEWIDE LIBRARY SYSTEM OF NEW YORK.
   B. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE CONTRARY, THE STATE  LIBRARIAN
 SHALL  ALLOCATE  MONEYS FROM THE FUND AS GRANTS TO QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTI-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14150-04-4
              

 A. 9652--A                          2
 
 TIES THAT AGREE  TO  A  DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR  MATCH  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THE
 PROGRAM.
   C.  NOTWITHSTANDING PARAGRAPH B OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE STATE LIBRAR-
 IAN MAY WAIVE THE DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCH REQUIREMENT  FOR  A  QUALIFIED
 LOCAL  ENTITY  ON  A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS TO PREVENT UNDUE FINANCIAL HARD-
 SHIP.
   4. THE STATE LIBRARIAN SHALL COORDINATE WITH A NONPROFIT ENTITY, QUAL-
 IFIED UNDER SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE,  AND  ORGAN-
 IZED  SOLELY  TO  PROMOTE  AND  ENCOURAGE READING BY THE CHILDREN OF THE
 STATE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION.
   5. THE STATE LIBRARIAN SHALL PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND  MANAGE  THE  DAILY
 OPERATIONS OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   A.  PROMOTING  THE STATEWIDE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL DOLLY PARTON'S IMAG-
 INATION LIBRARY PROGRAMS;
   B.  ADVANCING  AND  STRENGTHENING  LOCAL  DOLLY  PARTON'S  IMAGINATION
 LIBRARY PROGRAMS WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING ENROLLMENT;
   C.  RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTION, AND
 COORDINATION OF LOCAL DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAMS;
   D. SOLICITING DONATIONS,  GIFTS,  AND  OTHER  FUNDING  TO  FINANCIALLY
 SUPPORT LOCAL DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAMS;
   E. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT;
   F. DEVELOPING, PROMOTING, AND COORDINATING A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
 TO  MAKE  DONORS  AWARE  OF  THE  OPPORTUNITY TO DONATE TO THE AFFILIATE
 PROGRAMS AND MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO REGISTER ELIGI-
 BLE CHILDREN TO RECEIVE BOOKS THROUGH THE PROGRAM;
   G. ADMINISTERING  THE  LOCAL  MATCH  REQUIREMENT  AND  COORDINATE  THE
 COLLECTION AND REMITTANCE OF LOCAL PROGRAM COSTS FOR BOOKS AND MAILING;
   H. DEVELOPING STATEWIDE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION PLANS; AND
   I.  ESTABLISHING,  IN  PARTNERSHIP  WITH  THE DEPARTMENT, A SYSTEM FOR
 PARENT AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO SHOW IMPACT AND  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  THE
 PROGRAM.
   6.  ON  OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-NINE, AND ANNUALLY
 THEREAFTER, THE STATE LIBRARIAN SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO  THE  GOVERNOR,
 THE  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
 SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   A. THE DEPOSITS MADE TO, AND EXPENDITURES MADE FROM THE FUND;
   B. WHETHER ANY LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENTS WERE WAIVED;
   C. THE NUMBER OF LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT EXIST, THEIR LOCATION, AND  WHICH
 ENTITY OR ORGANIZATION SERVES AS THE LOCAL PARTNER; AND
   D.  THE  NUMBER  OF CHILDREN THAT ARE ENROLLED AND THE NUMBER OF BOOKS
 THAT HAVE BEEN SENT TO SUCH ENROLLED CHILDREN.
   7. THE REGENTS MAY PROMULGATE REGULATIONS AS MAY  BE  NEEDED  FOR  THE
 ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-bbbbb
 to read as follows:
   §  97-BBBBB.  IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
 ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT  CUSTODY  OF  THE  STATE  COMPTROLLER  AND  THE
 COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AN ACCOUNT OF THE MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVEN-
 UE ACCOUNT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND".
   2. MONEYS IN THIS FUND SHALL BE KEPT SEPARATE AND SHALL NOT BE COMMIN-
 GLED  WITH  ANY OTHER MONEYS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND
 THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.
   3. THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND SHALL  CONSIST  OF  MONEYS
 APPROPRIATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH ACCOUNT, MONEYS TRANSFERRED TO SUCH
 ACCOUNT  PURSUANT TO LAW, CONTRIBUTIONS CONSISTING OF PROMISES OR GRANTS
 OF ANY MONEY OR PROPERTY OF ANY KIND OR VALUE, OR  ANY  OTHER  THING  OF
 A. 9652--A                          3
 
 VALUE, INCLUDING GRANTS OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM ANY AGENCY OF
 GOVERNMENT  AND MONEYS REQUIRED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION OR ANY
 OTHER LAW TO BE PAID INTO OR CREDITED TO THIS ACCOUNT.
   4. MONEYS OF THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND, WHEN ALLOCATED,
 SHALL BE AVAILABLE, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDG-
 ET,  TO  PROVIDE  AGE-APPROPRIATE  BOOKS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AT HOME, TO
 EACH CHILD REGISTERED IN THE PROGRAM, FROM BIRTH TO THEIR FIFTH BIRTHDAY
 AT NO COST TO FAMILIES, THROUGH DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.