1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to capital improvements; authorizing spending 
  1.3             to acquire and to better public buildings and other 
  1.4             public improvements of a capital nature; providing for 
  1.5             the commissioner of the department of children, 
  1.6             families, and learning to issue library facilities 
  1.7             grants; authorizing issuance of bonds; appropriating 
  1.8             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 
  1.9             134.45. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 134.45, is 
  1.12  amended to read: 
  1.13     134.45 [LIBRARY ACCESSIBILITY FACILITIES GRANTS.] 
  1.14     Subdivision 1.  [APPLICATION; DEFINITION.] Public library 
  1.15  jurisdictions may apply to the commissioner of children, 
  1.16  families, and learning for grants to improve accessibility to 
  1.17  their library facilities.  For the purposes of this section, 
  1.18  "public library jurisdictions" means regional public library 
  1.19  systems, regional library districts, cities, and counties 
  1.20  operating libraries under chapter 134. 
  1.21     Subd. 2.  [APPROVAL BY COMMISSIONER.] The commissioner of 
  1.22  children, families, and learning, in consultation with the state 
  1.23  council on disability, may approve or disapprove applications 
  1.24  under this section.  The grant money must be used only to remove 
  1.25  architectural barriers from a building or site, to renovate or 
  1.26  expand an existing building for use as a library, or to 
  1.27  construct a new library building. 
  2.1      Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION FORMS.] The commissioner of 
  2.2   children, families, and learning shall prepare application forms 
  2.3   and establish application dates.  
  2.4      Subd. 4.  [MATCH.] A public library jurisdiction applying 
  2.5   for a grant under this section must match the grant with local 
  2.6   funds. 
  2.7      Subd. 5.  [QUALIFICATION.] A public library jurisdiction 
  2.8   may apply for a grant in an amount up to $150,000 $1,000,000 or 
  2.9   50 percent of the approved costs of removing architectural 
  2.10  barriers from a building or site, whichever is less.  Grants may 
  2.11  be made only for projects in existing buildings used as a 
  2.12  library, or to prepare another existing building for use as a 
  2.13  library.  Grants must not be used to pay part of the cost of 
  2.14  meeting accessibility requirements in a new building. 
  2.15     Subd. 6.  [AWARD OF GRANTS.] The commissioner, in 
  2.16  consultation with the state council on disability, shall examine 
  2.17  and consider all applications for grants.  If a public library 
  2.18  jurisdiction is found not qualified, the commissioner shall 
  2.19  promptly notify it.  The commissioner shall prioritize grants on 
  2.20  the following bases:  the degree of collaboration with other 
  2.21  public or private agencies, the public library jurisdiction's 
  2.22  tax burden, the long-term feasibility of the project, the 
  2.23  suitability of the project, and the need for the project.  If 
  2.24  the total amount of the applications exceeds the amount that is 
  2.25  or can be made available, the commissioner shall award grants 
  2.26  according to the commissioner's judgment and discretion and 
  2.27  based upon a ranking of the projects according to the factors 
  2.28  listed in this subdivision.  The commissioner shall promptly 
  2.29  certify to each public library jurisdiction the amount, if any, 
  2.30  of the grant awarded to it. 
  2.31     Subd. 7.  [PROJECT BUDGET.] A public library jurisdiction 
  2.32  that receives a grant must provide the commissioner with the 
  2.33  project budget and any other information the commissioner 
  2.34  requests. 
  2.35     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.36     $10,000,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to 
  3.1   the commissioner of children, families, and learning for library 
  3.2   facilities grants to renovate or expand an existing building for 
  3.3   use as a library or to construct a new library building under 
  3.4   Minnesota Statutes, section 134.45, subject to the requirements 
  3.5   of Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.695.  At least $2,000,000 of 
  3.6   this appropriation must be used to remove architectural barriers 
  3.7   from a building or site.  
  3.8      Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.9      $100,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal 
  3.10  year 2001 to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  3.11  learning for the costs of administering library facilities 
  3.12  grants under section 1.  
  3.13     Sec. 4.  [BOND SALE.] 
  3.14     To provide the money appropriated in section 2 from the 
  3.15  bond proceeds fund, the commissioner of finance, on request of 
  3.16  the governor, shall sell and issue bonds of the state in an 
  3.17  amount up to $10,000,000 in the manner, on the terms, and with 
  3.18  the effect prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 
  3.19  16A.675, and by the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 
  3.20  4 to 7. 
  3.21     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.22     Sections 1 to 4 are effective the day following final 
  3.23  enactment.