BILL NUMBER: S3594
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to setting the number of
petitioners necessary to call for a vote on increasing the amount of
funding of the annual contribution for the operating budget of a regis-
tered public or free association library
 
PURPOSE:
Sets the number of petitioners necessary to call for a vote on increas-
ing the amount of funding of the annual contribution for the operating
budget of a registered public or free association library
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 259 of the education law to establish that 25
signatures from qualified voters shall petition the question of estab-
lishing or increasing the amount of funding of the annual contribution
for the operating budget of a registered public or free association
library.
Section 2 states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Association libraries are required to gather signatures on a petition
for their annual tax levy proposition to then be voted on the ballot
during November general elections. The current formula for the number of
signatures is at least 10% of the total number of votes cast in the
municipality for Governor in the last election. For example, in 2022 the
Field Library in Peekskill was required to submit nearly 700 qualified
signatures to the County Board by August 1st.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this number was temporarily reduced to 25.
This legislation would permanently reduce the number to 25 signatures
allowing librarians to spend their days serving their communities
instead of scouting for signatures, while still allowing the question of
the library's tax levy to be voted on the ballot.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.