PRINTER'S NO. 2650
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2025
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, MADDEN, PROBST, SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ,
POWELL, HADDOCK, KHAN, CERRATO, HILL-EVANS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
OTTEN, DALEY, D. WILLIAMS AND FLEMING, MARCH 5, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 5, 2024
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," establishing the Statewide
6 Imagination Library Program and the Imagination Library of
7 Pennsylvania Restricted Account; and imposing duties on the
8 Department of Education.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
12 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
13 article to read:
14 ARTICLE XXIII-B
15 STATEWIDE IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAM
16 Section 2301-B. Definitions.
17 The following words and phrases when used in this article
18 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19 context clearly indicates otherwise:
20 "Account." The Imagination Library of Pennsylvania
 1 Restricted Account established under section 2302-B.
2 "Department." The Department of Education of the
3 Commonwealth.
4 "Eligible child." A child who resides within the
5 Commonwealth and is under five years of age.
6 "Program." The Statewide Imagination Library Program
7 established under section 2303-B.
8 "Qualified local entity." Any existing or new local Dolly
9 Parton's Imagination Library program partner.
10 Section 2302-B. Imagination Library of Pennsylvania Restricted
11 Account.
12 (a) Establishment.--The Imagination Library of Pennsylvania
13 Restricted Account is established as a restricted account in the
14 General Fund. Money in the account is appropriated to the
15 department on a continuing basis for the purposes of this
16 article.
17 (b) Funding.--The State Treasurer may accept appropriations,
18 transfers, gifts, grants, donations, legacies or any other
19 revenues, including allowable Federal funds, for deposit into
20 the account.
21 (c) Allocation.--Money from the account shall be allocated
22 to qualified local entities that agree to a dollar-for-dollar
23 match for purposes of the program. The department may waive the
24 dollar-for-dollar match requirement for a qualified local entity
25 on a case-by-case basis to prevent undue financial hardship.
26 (d) Money shall not lapse.--Money remaining in the account
27 at the close of the fiscal year shall not lapse but shall be
28 carried forward to the next fiscal year and be continuously
29 appropriated only for the purposes specified in this article.
30 (e) Interest.--Any interest that accrues in the account
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 1 shall remain in the account.
2 Section 2303-B. Statewide Imagination Library Program.
3 (a) Establishment and purpose.--The Statewide Imagination
4 Library Program is established in the department to promote the
5 development of a comprehensive Statewide initiative to encourage
6 children from birth to five years of age to develop a love of
7 reading and learning.
8 (b) Providing books.--Qualified local entities shall use
9 allocated money to provide one age-appropriate book to each
10 registered child from birth to five years of age in
11 participating counties. Books shall be sent monthly to each
12 child's home at no cost to families.
13 (c) Matching.--In accordance with section 2302-B(c), the
14 department, if money is available, shall match the amount
15 required of local programs participating in the program.
16 Section 2304-B. Duties of department.
17 (a) Administration.--The department shall administer the
18 program and shall coordinate with a nonprofit entity, qualified
19 under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) (relating to exemption from tax on
20 corporations, certain trusts, etc.), and organized solely to
21 promote and encourage reading by the children of this
22 Commonwealth, for the purpose of implementing this article.
23 (b) Oversight.--The department shall provide oversight to
24 the nonprofit entity in subsection (a) to do all of the
25 following:
26 (1) Manage the daily operations of the program.
27 (2) Promote the Statewide development of local Dolly
28 Parton's Imagination Library programs.
29 (3) Advance and strengthen local Dolly Parton's
30 Imagination Library programs.
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 1 (4) Develop community engagement initiatives.
2 (5) Develop, promote and coordinate a public awareness
3 campaign to make donors aware of the opportunity to donate to
4 the affiliate programs and make the public aware of the
5 opportunity to register eligible children to receive books
6 through the program.
7 (6) Administer the local match requirement and
8 coordinate the collection and remittance of local program
9 costs for books and mailing.
10 (7) Develop Statewide marketing and communication plans.
11 (8) Solicit donations, gifts and other funding to
12 financially support local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
13 programs.
14 (c) Regulations.--The department may promulgate regulations
15 as needed for the administration of the program.
16 Section 2305-B. Report.
17 The department shall prepare and submit to the General
18 Assembly, no later than January 1, 2025, and each January 1
19 thereafter, a report that includes, but is not limited to, the
20 following:
21 (1) The deposits made to, and expenditures made from,
22 the account.
23 (2) Whether the department waived any local match
24 requirements.
25 (3) How many local programs exist, where the programs
26 are located and which entity or organization serves as the
27 local partner.
28 (4) How many children are enrolled in a program and how
29 many books those children have received.
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 2650: P.L.30, No.14