HOUSE BILL 655

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Janice E. Arnold-Jones

AN ACT

RELATING TO LIBRARIES; ENACTING THE RURAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT ACT; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES; CREATING A FUND; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the "Rural Library Development Act".

     Section 2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Rural Library Development Act:

          A. "division" means the library division of the cultural affairs department; and

          B. "rural library" means a public library in a municipality or unincorporated village or community with a population of less than fifteen thousand as determined by the latest federal decennial census.

     Section 3. RURAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.--

          A. The division shall establish a rural library development program that provides grants-in-aid to:

                (1) improve existing rural libraries' collections and services and provide resources to plan and establish new rural libraries;

                (2) improve access to library materials and technology for rural citizens;

                (3) connect rural libraries to communications networks, such as wire New Mexico and national lambdarail;

                (4) provide professional development to librarians and other library staff in rural libraries; and

                (5) provide support for rural libraries to participate in the New Mexico group catalog and the New Mexico library portal, a statewide resource-sharing network.

          B. Municipalities and counties may apply for rural library development grants-in-aid to improve or connect a rural library and provide training and supplemental salaries not to exceed forty percent of compensation for a period not to exceed three years to rural librarians. A grant-in-aid may be awarded for qualifying rural libraries based on an application process developed by the division.

          C. The division shall establish by rule the application and grant process to distribute available money equitably across the state. Priority shall be given to rural libraries that are:

                (1) located more than twenty miles from a municipality with a population of greater than fifty thousand as determined by the latest federal decennial census; and

                (2) being connected to wire New Mexico and national lambdarail.

     Section 4. RURAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT FUND--CREATED--PURPOSE.--The "rural library development fund" is created as a nonreverting fund in the state treasury. The fund consists of appropriations; other revenue credited to the fund; gifts, grants and donations to the fund; and income from investment of the fund. The fund shall be administered by the division, and money in the fund is appropriated to the division to carry out the provisions of the Rural Library Development Act. No more than five percent of the fund each year may be used for administration. Disbursements from the fund shall be by warrant of the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the state librarian or the state librarian's authorized representative.

     Section 5. APPROPRIATION.--Two million dollars ($2,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the rural library development fund for expenditure in fiscal year 2007 and subsequent fiscal years to provide rural library development grants-in-aid. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund.

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