What's happening
This bill provides supplemental state aid to public library systems in New York that merge after January 1, 2018.
Why it matters
Encourages consolidation for efficiency and cost savings. By offering supplemental state aid to merged library systems, the bill incentivizes local governments and library boards to consider merging, which could reduce administrative overhead and improve resource sharing.
Ensures ongoing support for central library services. The bill requires that 40% of the supplemental aid be dedicated to central or co-central library functions, helping to maintain or enhance key services that benefit all member libraries in the system.
Mandates accountability and transparency. Merged systems must report to the state on both the financial savings and the impact on library service delivery, promoting oversight and enabling evaluation of whether mergers are beneficial for communities.
Temporary, declining financial support. The supplemental aid is structured to phase out over nine years, meaning that while initial support is significant, merged systems will eventually need to sustain efficiencies without ongoing extra state funding—encouraging thoughtful, sustainable long-term planning.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
More Funding for Merged Libraries
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to libraries and education technology
- Referred to libraries and education technology
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
960
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee 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, 2018
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, 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 pursuant 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 president 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.
LBD05155-02-7
A. 960 2
(A) created after January first, two thousand eighteen 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 eighteen.
(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.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.