Bill Text: CA SB1183 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: The California State Library: Statewide Imagination Library Program.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2022-09-30 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 992, Statutes of 2022. [SB1183 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB1183-Enrolled.html

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Enrolled  September 02, 2022

Passed  IN  Senate  August 30, 2022

Passed  IN  Assembly  August 29, 2022

Amended  IN  Assembly  August 22, 2022

Amended  IN  Senate  May 03, 2022

Amended  IN  Senate  March 16, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1183

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Introduced by Senator Grove
(Principal coauthor: Senator Atkins)
(Coauthors: Senators Limón and Rubio)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Chen)

February 17, 2022

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An act to add Article 6 (commencing with Section 19350) to Chapter 7 of Part 11 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to the California State Library, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1183, Grove. The California State Library: Statewide Imagination Library Program.

Existing law establishes the California State Library as a state government agency under the control of an executive, who is required to be a technically trained librarian and known as the “State Librarian.” Existing law requires the State Librarian, among other duties, to give advisory, consultive, and technical assistance to librarians and library authorities in public libraries and to assist all other authorities, state and local, in assuming their full responsibility for library service.

Existing law requires the State Librarian to establish the Reading Initiative Program with funds appropriated for that purpose and with funds received from private sources, and requires the State Librarian to administer the program, as provided. Existing law requires the State Librarian, in administering the program, to, among other things, develop a list of recommended books in consultation with various groups, including, but not limited to, teachers, librarians, parents, writers, publishers, and employees of the State Department of Education. Existing law requires the recommended books to supplement the state-recommended English/language arts curriculum framework and to include recreational reading selections for children.

This bill would establish the Statewide Imagination Library Program under the administration of the State Librarian for purposes of developing, implementing, promoting, and fostering a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging preschool children to develop a love of reading and learning. The bill would create and continuously appropriate the Imagination Library of California Fund for purposes of the program, as provided, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would require moneys from the fund to be used to provide age-appropriate books on a monthly basis, at home, to each child registered in the program, from birth to their 5th birthday, inclusive, at no cost to families, through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The bill would require moneys from the fund to be allocated to qualified local entities that agree to a dollar-for-dollar match for purposes of the program, unless waived by the State Librarian, as provided.

This bill would require the State Librarian to coordinate with a nonprofit entity, as specified, that is organized solely to promote and encourage reading by the children of the state, for purposes of implementing the bill’s provisions, and would require the State Librarian to do certain things, including, among other things, promote the statewide development of local Dolly Parton Imagination Library programs, recruit volunteers to assist in the development, promotion, and coordination of the programs, administer the local match requirement, and coordinate the collection and remittance of local program costs for books and mailing.

This bill would require the State Librarian, by January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, to report to the Legislature on the implementation of the program, as specified.

This bill would authorize the California State Library to promulgate regulations as may be needed for the administration of the program.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Digest Key

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Article 6 (commencing with Section 19350) is added to Chapter 7 of Part 11 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:

Article  6. Statewide Imagination Library Program

19350.

 The Statewide Imagination Library Program is hereby established under the administration of the State Librarian for purposes of developing, implementing, promoting, and fostering a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, to develop a love of reading and learning.

19351.

 (a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a fund which shall be known as the Imagination Library of California Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys deposited in the fund, including state General Fund appropriations, public or private bequeaths, donations, gifts, or grants, and any federal funds, are continuously appropriated to the California State Library for purposes of this article.

(b) Moneys from the fund shall be used to provide age-appropriate books on a monthly basis, at home, to each child registered in the program, from birth to their fifth birthday, inclusive, at no cost to families, through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

(c) (1) Moneys from the fund shall be allocated to qualified local entities that agree to a dollar-for-dollar match for purposes of the program.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the State Librarian may waive the dollar-for-dollar match requirement for a qualified local entity on a case-by-case basis to prevent undue financial hardship.

(d) For purposes of this section, “qualified local entity” means any existing or new local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate.

19352.

 The State Librarian shall coordinate with a nonprofit entity, qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and organized solely to promote and encourage reading by the children of the state, for the purpose of implementing this article.

19353.

 The State Librarian shall do all of the following:

(a) Promote the statewide development of local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library programs.

(b) Advance and strengthen local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library programs with the goal of increasing enrollment.

(c) Recruit volunteers to assist in the development, promotion, and coordination of the programs.

(d) Solicit donations, gifts, and other funding to financially support local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library programs.

(e) Develop community engagement.

(f) Develop, promote, and coordinate a public awareness campaign to make donors aware of the opportunity to donate to the affiliate programs and make the public aware of the opportunity to register eligible children to receive books through the program.

(g) Administer the local match requirement and coordinate the collection and remittance of local program costs for books and mailing.

(h) Develop statewide marketing and communication plans.

(i) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, report to the Legislature, by January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, on all of the following:

(A) The deposits made to, and expenditures made from, the Imagination Library of California Fund.

(B) Whether any local match requirements were waived.

(C) How many local programs exist, where they are located, and which entity or organization serves as the local partner.

(D) How many children are enrolled and how many books have been sent to enrolled children.

(2) The report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

19354.

 The California State Library may promulgate regulations as may be needed for the administration of the Statewide Imagination Library Program.

SEC. 2.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to support, as early as possible, the distribution of books to California families by developing, implementing, promoting, and fostering a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging preschool children to develop a love of reading and learning in the earliest stages of life beginning at birth, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.