BILL NUMBER: S7093A
SPONSOR: CHU
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to state aid eligibility
for library construction and making technical corrections thereto; to
amend chapter 498 of the laws of 2011 amending the education law relat-
ing to the public library construction grant program, in relation to the
effectiveness thereof; and to repeal certain provisions of the education
law relating thereto
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to make permanent the reduced match for
library construction aid, conform the existing match and eligibility
requirements applicable to projects located in "economically disadvan-
taged" and "economically distressed" communities, and remove the cap of
fifty percent of total systemwide project allocations applicable to
certain individual library aid projects.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends subdivision 1 of section 273-a of the education law to
permit aid of up to ninety percent of the total project approved costs
for buildings of public libraries located in an economically disadvan-
taged community; makes technical amendments to subdivisions 2, 3 and 4
regarding single building project and coordinated applications, respec-
tively, and repeals the existing cap of fifty percent of total system-
wide project allocations applied to certain individual library aid
projects within the library system. § 2: Amends subdivision 1 of
section 273a of the education law in conformity with the changes made in
§ 1 and to repeal the current sunset provision applicable to that subdi-
vision. § 3: Unifies the differing provisions currently found in two
separate subdivisions of section 273-a of the education law. § 4:
removes the sunset provisions currently applicable to portions of
section 273-a of the education law. § 5: Establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
About twenty percent of the library systems statewide could not use
their full construction aid allocation because of the complexity embed-
ded in current program rules. This bill streamlines the present approach
to library construction aid, provides for greater decision-making flexi-
bility at the system level, and offers greater opportunity for systems
to annually utilize their full allocation. Current law provides
"reduced match" opportunities for libraries located in "economically
disadvantaged" localities (up to 75% aidable) and for libraries located
in "economically distressed" localities (up to 90% aidable). This bill
creates a unified approach to project applications by removing the aida-
ble distinction between libraries located in economically disadvantaged
and economically distressed localities to generally qualify public
libraries in economically disadvantaged localities for aid of up to 90%
of the total project approved costs. The bill also provides greater
stability for library systems and individual libraries as they plan
their construction projects, because it also removes the existing sunset
provision. Finally, this bill removes the current requirement that no
more than 50% of funding for a library system go to libraries in econom-
ically distressed communities. Removing the cap and allowing increased
local control will enable library systems to better ensure that monies
go where they are most needed.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that the
amendments to subdivision 1 of section 273-a of the education law made
by section one of this act shall be subject to the expiration and rever-
sion of such subdivision pursuant to section 2 of chapter 120 of the
laws of 2020, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section
two of this act shall take effect.

Statutes affected:
S7093: 273-a education law, 273-a(1) education law
S7093A: 273-a education law, 273-a(1) education law