HF 977

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to libraries; changing the requirements for 
  1.3             state accessibility grants; establishing internet 
  1.4             revenue; establishing internet access grants; 
  1.5             providing for contracts with online service providers; 
  1.6             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.7             sections 124.91, by adding a subdivision; and 134.45, 
  1.8             subdivisions 2 and 5; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.9             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 134. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 124.91, is 
  1.12  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.13     Subd. 7.  [INTERNET REVENUE.] (a) A school district may 
  1.14  apply to the commissioner of education for internet revenue in 
  1.15  an amount not to exceed .5 percent of the adjusted net tax 
  1.16  capacity of the district to create, maintain, or upgrade 
  1.17  internet connections to and among school buildings in the 
  1.18  district.  The approval by the commissioner of education and the 
  1.19  application procedures in section 134.46, apply to the revenue 
  1.20  in this subdivision. 
  1.21     (b) To obtain internet revenue, a district may levy an 
  1.22  amount not to exceed the district's internet revenue, times the 
  1.23  lesser of one or the ratio of: 
  1.24     (1) the quotient derived by dividing the adjusted net tax 
  1.25  capacity of the district for the year before the year the levy 
  1.26  is certified by the actual pupil units in the district for the 
  1.27  year to which the levy is attributable; to 
  2.1      (2) 100 percent of the equalizing factor as defined in 
  2.2   section 124A.02, subdivision 8, for the year to which the levy 
  2.3   is attributable. 
  2.4      (c) A district's internet aid is the difference between its 
  2.5   internet revenue and its internet levy. 
  2.6      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 134.45, 
  2.7   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subd. 2.  [APPROVAL BY COMMISSIONER.] The commissioner of 
  2.9   education, in consultation with the state council on disability, 
  2.10  may approve or disapprove applications under this section.  The 
  2.11  grant money must may be used only either to remove architectural 
  2.12  barriers from a building or site or to construct a library 
  2.13  building if renovation of an existing building is not 
  2.14  economically feasible. 
  2.15     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 134.45, 
  2.16  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.17     Subd. 5.  [QUALIFICATION.] A public library jurisdiction 
  2.18  may apply for a grant in an amount up to 50 percent of 
  2.19  the approved renovation or new construction costs of removing 
  2.20  architectural barriers from a building or site. 
  2.21     Sec. 4.  [134.46] [INTERNET ACCESS GRANTS.] 
  2.22     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A regional public library 
  2.23  system or a school district may apply to the commissioner of 
  2.24  education for grants to improve access to the internet in order 
  2.25  to collaborate in the exchange and use of electronic information 
  2.26  and to promote internet use for distance cooperative learning 
  2.27  opportunities and the exchange of ideas among students, parents, 
  2.28  teachers, media generalists, librarians, and the public.  A 
  2.29  school district shall apply under the procedures in subdivisions 
  2.30  3 and 4, and a regional public library system shall apply under 
  2.31  the procedures in subdivision 5.  The commissioner of education 
  2.32  may approve applications under this section.  A grant award must 
  2.33  be used to increase the level of internet access at a public 
  2.34  library or a school site.  Internet access may be increased by 
  2.35  providing internet access to library staff and the public using 
  2.36  equipment installed at library facilities, or by providing 
  3.1   internet access to students, parents, teachers, and media 
  3.2   specialists using equipment installed in schools. 
  3.3      Subd. 2.  [APPLICATION FORMS.] The commissioner of 
  3.4   education shall prepare forms and establish dates for grant 
  3.5   applications under subdivisions 3 to 5. 
  3.6      Subd. 3.  [SCHOOL DISTRICT GRANT.] For fiscal year 1996, a 
  3.7   school district may apply to the commissioner of education for 
  3.8   an internet grant of up to $2,000 for each school building in 
  3.9   the district.  To be eligible for an internet grant, a district 
  3.10  must provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant 
  3.11  received under this subdivision.  A district may use revenue 
  3.12  reserved under section 124A.29, subdivision 1, for any portion 
  3.13  of the matching funds that are used to teach district staff to 
  3.14  access and use the internet. 
  3.15     Subd. 4.  [SECONDARY MEDIA CENTER GRANT.] In addition to 
  3.16  grants available under subdivision 3, a school district may 
  3.17  apply for an internet access grant for a secondary media center 
  3.18  that:  (1) is a member of a multitype library system; (2) is 
  3.19  open during periods of the year when classroom instruction is 
  3.20  occurring; and (3) has licensed school media staff on site. 
  3.21     Subd. 5.  [REGIONAL LIBRARY GRANT.] A public library system 
  3.22  may apply for a grant up to the maximum amount determined by the 
  3.23  formula in subdivision 6.  To be eligible for a grant, a 
  3.24  regional public library system must:  (1) meet the level of 
  3.25  local support required under section 134.34; (2) be open at 
  3.26  least 20 hours per week; and (3) meet the match requirements in 
  3.27  this subdivision.  A regional public library system must match a 
  3.28  grant award under this section with local funds equivalent to 
  3.29  one-tenth of one percent of adjusted net tax capacity for the 
  3.30  preceding year for each participating city or county.  Any local 
  3.31  matching funds must be an increase in the amount of local funds 
  3.32  allocated to support library operations in the year prior to the 
  3.33  first year of the internet access grant program and are exempt 
  3.34  from section 134.34.  Grant awards under this subdivision may 
  3.35  not be used to substitute for any existing local funds allocated 
  3.36  to provide internet equipment, internet access for library staff 
  4.1   or the public, or local funds previously dedicated to other 
  4.2   library operations. 
  4.3      Subd. 6.  [INTERNET FORMULA.] The maximum amount of each 
  4.4   grant for each fiscal year for each regional public library 
  4.5   system shall be calculated as follows:  
  4.6      (1) multiply $1 times the lesser of the population of the 
  4.7   area served by the regional public library system, or the sum of 
  4.8   the populations of the participating portions of the system; and 
  4.9      (2) deduct an amount equal to the sum of one-tenth of one 
  4.10  percent of the adjusted net tax capacity for the preceding year 
  4.11  for each participating portion of the system.  
  4.12     For the purposes of this section, participating cities and 
  4.13  counties shall determine population according to section 
  4.14  477A.011, subdivision 3. 
  4.15     Subd. 7.  [QUALIFICATION.] Grant awards under this section 
  4.16  may be used for the costs of: 
  4.17     (1) purchasing or leasing equipment, computer hardware, 
  4.18  software, communications lines, or services to improve or expand 
  4.19  access to the internet; 
  4.20     (2) providing internet training for library and school 
  4.21  district staff; 
  4.22     (3) providing training for school district media 
  4.23  generalists to train students, parents, and the public on the 
  4.24  uses of the internet; and 
  4.25     (4) promoting access to the internet through the public 
  4.26  library and school districts. 
  4.27     Subd. 8.  [AWARD OF GRANTS.] The commissioner shall examine 
  4.28  and consider all applications for grants.  The commissioner 
  4.29  shall promptly notify any applicant that is found not to be 
  4.30  qualified.  The commissioner shall prioritize grants on the 
  4.31  following bases:  
  4.32     (1) the public library jurisdiction's existing commitment 
  4.33  of resources to internet access; 
  4.34     (2) the proposed level of student, parent, teacher, and 
  4.35  public access to the internet; 
  4.36     (3) the proposed commitment to coordinating services with 
  5.1   the Minnesota Learning Network; and 
  5.2      (4) the need for improved access to the internet in the 
  5.3   area served.  
  5.4      If the total amount of the applications exceeds the amount 
  5.5   that is available, the commissioner shall award grants according 
  5.6   to the commissioner's discretion, based upon the prioritizing in 
  5.7   clauses (1) to (4).  The commissioner shall promptly certify to 
  5.8   each regional public library or school district the amount, if 
  5.9   any, of the grant awarded to it. 
  5.10     Subd. 9.  [PROJECT BUDGET.] A regional public library 
  5.11  system or school district that receives a grant must provide the 
  5.12  commissioner with the project budget and any other information 
  5.13  the commissioner requests. 
  5.14     Sec. 5.  [ONLINE DATA ACCESS.] 
  5.15     The commissioner of education shall, with assistance from 
  5.16  the advisory council to the office of library development, 
  5.17  select and contract with one or more vendors to provide basic 
  5.18  access to online data periodical services for Minnesota 
  5.19  residents through schools and public libraries. 
  5.20     Sec. 6.  [LIBRARY APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  5.21     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.] The sums 
  5.22  indicated in this section are appropriated from the general fund 
  5.23  to the department of education for the fiscal years designated. 
  5.24     Subd. 2.  [BASIC SUPPORT GRANTS.] For the basic support 
  5.25  grants according to Minnesota Statutes, sections 134.32 to 
  5.26  134.35: 
  5.27       $8,601,000     .....     1996 
  5.28       $8,601,000     .....     1997 
  5.29     The 1996 appropriation includes $1,290,150 for 1995 and 
  5.30  $7,310,850 for 1996. 
  5.31     The 1997 appropriation includes $1,290,150 for 1996 and 
  5.32  $7,310,850 for 1997. 
  5.33     Subd. 3.  [MULTICOUNTY, MULTITYPE LIBRARY SYSTEMS.] For 
  5.34  grants according to Minnesota Statutes, sections 134.353 and 
  5.35  134.354, to multicounty, multitype library systems: 
  5.36       $1,000,000     .....     1996 
  6.1        $1,000,000     .....     1997 
  6.2      The 1996 appropriation includes $150,000 for 1995 and 
  6.3   $850,000 for 1996. 
  6.4      The 1997 appropriation includes $150,000 for 1996 and 
  6.5   $448,000 for 1997. 
  6.6      Subd. 4.  [STATE AGENCY LIBRARIES.] For maintaining and 
  6.7   upgrading the online computer-based library catalog system in 
  6.8   state agency libraries: 
  6.9        $40,000        .....     1996 
  6.10       $40,000        .....     1997 
  6.11     Any balance in the first year does not cancel and is 
  6.12  available in the second year.  These amounts are added to 
  6.13  amounts included in the appropriation for the department of 
  6.14  education budget that are for the same purpose. 
  6.15     Subd. 5.  [INTERNET AID.] For internet aid according to 
  6.16  Minnesota Statutes, section 124.91, subdivision 7: 
  6.17       $.,...,...     .....     1996 
  6.18       $.,...,...     .....     1997 
  6.19     Subd. 6.  [INFORMS GRANTS.] For grants to continue the 
  6.20  internet access for Minnesota schools project (InforMNS): 
  6.21       $400,000       .....     1996 
  6.22       $400,000       .....     1997 
  6.23     Subd. 7.  [ONLINE SERVICE GRANTS.] To provide access to 
  6.24  online periodicals for libraries and secondary media centers 
  6.25  under section 5: 
  6.26       $.,...,...     .....     1996 
  6.27       $.,...,...     .....     1997 
  6.28     Subd. 8.  [OFFICE OF LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT.] For 
  6.29  administration of projects related providing access to online 
  6.30  periodicals: 
  6.31       $50,000        .....     1996 
  6.32       $50,000        .....     1997 
  6.33     Subd. 9.  [LIBRARY ACCESSIBILITY GRANTS.] For library 
  6.34  accessibility grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 134.45: 
  6.35       $.,...,...     .....     1996 
  6.36     Subd. 10.  [REGIONAL LIBRARY INTERNET ACCESS GRANTS.] For 
  7.1   internet access grants for regional library systems under 
  7.2   Minnesota Statutes, section 134.46: 
  7.3        $.,...,...     .....     1996 
  7.4      Any balance does not cancel and is available for fiscal 
  7.5   year 1997.  
  7.6      Subd. 11.  [SCHOOL DISTRICT INTERNET ACCESS GRANTS.] For 
  7.7   internet access grants for school districts under Minnesota 
  7.8   Statutes, section 134.46: 
  7.9        $.,...,...     .....     1996 
  7.10     Any balance does not cancel and is available for fiscal 
  7.11  year 1997.