Senate Bill No. 196–Senator Mathews

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to school districts; authorizing the department of education to waive certain eligibility requirements for grants of money previously appropriated for the purchase of library books and extending the reversion date of the appropriation; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1. Section 4 of chapter 544, Statutes of Nevada 1999, at page

 2842, is hereby amended to read as follows:

   Sec. 4.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general

 fund to the Department of Education for distribution to school

 districts to purchase library books:

For the fiscal year 1999-2000$374,000

For the fiscal year 2000-2001$374,000

   2.  [Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, the] The board

 of trustees of a school district may submit an application to the

 Department of Education for a grant of money from the appropriation

 made by subsection 1 on a form provided by the Department of

 Education. Such an application must include a description of the:

   (a) Amount of money expended by the school district, excluding

 gifts and grants, in the immediately preceding year for the purchase

 of library books for use in the media centers of school libraries within

 the school district; and

   (b) Financial needs of the school district to maintain an adequate

 supply of library books in the media centers of school libraries within

 the school district.

   3.  Upon receipt of such an application, the Department of

 Education shall review the application to determine whether it is

 complete. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, the

 Department of Education shall approve an application if it is

 complete.

   4.  The Department of Education shall apportion the money

 available for each fiscal year among the school districts whose

 applications have been approved. Each school district is entitled to

 receive, within the limits of money available, an amount equal to not

 more than 50 percent of the money that the school district expended,

 excluding gifts and grants, on the purchase of library books for use in

 the media centers of school libraries in the immediately preceding

 year.

   5.  The board of trustees of a school district that receives a grant of

 money pursuant to subsection 4 shall use the money to purchase

 library books for use in the media centers of school libraries.

   6.  The board of trustees of a school district that receives a grant of

 money pursuant to subsection 4 shall not use the money to:

   (a) Supplant or cause to be reduced any other source of funding for

 the media centers of school libraries within the school district.

   (b) Settle or arbitrate disputes or negotiate settlements between an

organization that represents licensed employees of the school district

 and the school district.

   (c) Adjust the schedules of salaries and benefits of the employees

 of the school district.

   7.  [If] Except as otherwise provided in subsection 8, if the board

 of trustees of a school district receives a grant of money pursuant to

 subsection 4 for the fiscal year 1999-2000 and the board of trustees

 does not expend at least the amount of money, excluding gifts and

 grants, that the board of trustees expended in the immediately

 preceding year on the purchase of library books for media centers of

 school libraries, the board of trustees is not eligible to [apply for]

 receive a grant of money for the fiscal year 2000-2001. If the

 Department of Education receives an application from a school

 district and, upon review of the information contained in the

 application described in paragraph (a) of subsection 2, the

 Department determines that the board of trustees did not expend at

 least the amount of money that the board of trustees expended in the

 immediately preceding year on the purchase of library books for

 media centers of school libraries, the Department shall deny the

 application[.] , unless a waiver is granted pursuant to subsection 8.

   8.  The Department of Education may waive the requirement

 provided in subsection 7 for good cause shown.

   9.  As used in this section, “media center of a school library”

 means a centralized collection of educational resources located in a

 school library that is designed to:

   (a) Integrate the curriculum of a school;

   (b) Teach pupils skills in methods to acquire information; and

   (c) Ensure that teachers and pupils use the resources of information

 offered in a school library.

   [9.] 10.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by

 subsection 1 for:

   (a) The fiscal year 1999-2000 must be transferred and added to the

 money appropriated for the fiscal year 2000-2001.

   (b) The fiscal year 2000-2001, including any money added thereto

 pursuant to paragraph (a), must not be committed for expenditure

 after June 30, [2001,] 2002, and reverts to the state general fund as

 soon as all payments of money committed have been made.

   Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

 

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