AN ACT Relating to public library funding; amending RCW 27.12.010 and 27.12.020; adding new sections to chapter 27.12 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 2, chapter 119, Laws of 1935 as last amended by section 1, chapter 123, Laws of 1982 and RCW 27.12.010 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter and chapter 27.08 RCW, unless the context requires a different meaning:

(1) "Governmental unit" means any county, city, town, rural county library district, intercounty rural library district, or island library district((;)).

(2) "Legislative body" means the body authorized to determine the amount of taxes to be levied in a governmental unit; in rural county library districts, in intercounty rural library districts, and in island library districts, the legislative body shall be the board of library trustees of the district((;)).

(3) "Library" means a free public library supported in whole or in part with money derived from taxation((~~; and~~)).

(4) "Regional library" means a ((~~free public library~~)) municipal corporation maintained to provide library service by two or more counties or other governmental units as provided in RCW 27.12.080((~~; and~~)).

(5) "Rural county library district" means a ((~~library serving~~)) municipal corporation organized to provide library service to all the area of a county not included within the area of incorporated cities and towns: PROVIDED, That any city or town with a population of one hundred thousand or less at the time of annexation may be included therein as provided in RCW 27.12.360 through 27.12.390((~~; and~~)).

(6) "Intercounty rural library district" means a municipal corporation organized to provide library service for all areas outside of incorporated cities and towns within two or more counties: PROVIDED, That any city or town with a population of one hundred thousand or less at the time of annexation may be included therein as provided in RCW 27.12.360 through 27.12.390((~~; and~~)).

(7) "Island library district" means a municipal corporation organized to provide library service for all areas outside of incorporated cities and towns on a single island only, and not all of the area of the county, in counties composed entirely of islands and having a population of less than twenty-five thousand at the time the island library district was created: PROVIDED, That any city or town with a population of one hundred thousand or less at the time of annexation may be included therein as provided in RCW 27.12.360 through 27.12.390.

(8) "Library materials" includes items in print and nonprint formats which are acquired, processed, housed, loaned, and maintained for the use of the general public.

(9) "Sharing of resources" means making library materials and information available to users of public libraries by a variety of methods, including interlibrary loans and reference/referral.

(10) "Commission" means the state library commission.

Sec. 2. Section 1, chapter 119, Laws of 1935 and RCW 27.12.020 are each amended to read as follows:

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state, as a part of its provision for public education, to promote the establishment and development of public library service throughout its various subdivisions and to provide fiscal assistance for such service.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Moneys appropriated from the state general fund to the state library commission to strengthen and improve library service throughout the state including the state-wide sharing of library resources shall be allocated to eligible libraries annually in accordance with the following:

(1) Five percent to support the sharing of resources;

(2) Of the remaining amount:

(a) Twenty percent shall be used to match the local funds actually spent for operational expenses in eligible libraries in the proportion of the local funds actually spent for operational expenses by an eligible library to the total amount of local funds actually spent for operational expenses by all eligible libraries in the state;

(b) Seventy-one percent based on the proportion of the population of the governmental unit served by the eligible library to the population of the state. The state library, in order to plan and provide services to persons not served by existing library districts or municipal libraries, shall receive the portion of the seventy-one percent allocable to the proportion of the population of the state not served by existing library districts or municipal libraries of the state;

(c) Seven percent based on the proportion of the area in square miles of the governmental unit served by the eligible library to the area in square miles of the part of the state served by library districts or municipal libraries;

(d) Two percent of the moneys appropriated may be used by the commission to cover the costs of administering this section.

(3) If the moneys that would be paid under subsection (2) (a), (b), and (c) of this section are less than two thousand dollars per year, the eligible library may, instead of receiving moneys under subsection (2) (a), (b), and (c) of this section, elect to receive two thousand dollars per year or the equivalent of forty-nine percent of the eligible library's actual operational expenditures provided by local authorities per year, whichever amount is less.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. To establish eligibility to receive state fiscal assistance, a library shall receive local operating funds equal in amount to that expended the previous year or an amount equal to the average of the previous two years' operational expenditures, whichever is greater. The state library commission is authorized to permit reasonable exceptions to the requirements in this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The commission shall establish and adopt rules to administer RCW 27.12.010, 27.12.020, and sections 3 and 4 of this act. The commission shall prescribe by rule appropriate forms to assure that the information required by RCW 27.12.010, 27.12.020, and sections 3 and 4 of this act is presented as briefly as possible.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 3 through 5 of this act are each added to chapter 27.12 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. There is appropriated from the general fund to the state library commission for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, the sum of eight million five hundred twenty-eight thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.