Senate Bill S3154

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3154--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 23, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. COONEY, FAHY, JACKSON, MARTINEZ, MAY, SALAZAR, SCAR-
   CELLA-SPANTON, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when print-
   ed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Libraries  -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in  relation  to  creating  the
   Dolly Parton's statewide imagination library of New York; and to amend
   the  state  finance  law,  in relation to establishing the imagination
   library of New York fund
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section
 361 to read as follows:
   § 361. DOLLY PARTON'S STATEWIDE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF  NEW  YORK.  1.
 FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
 ING MEANINGS:
   A.  "PROGRAM"  SHALL  MEAN  THE STATEWIDE IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAM,
 DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK;
   B. "FUND" SHALL MEAN THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK  FUND  ESTAB-
 LISHED BY SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-BBBBB OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW; AND
   C. "QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITY" SHALL MEAN ANY EXISTING OR NEW LOCAL DOLLY
 PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY LOCAL PROGRAM PARTNER.
   2.  THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE OFFICE
 OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES A DOLLY PARTON'S  STATEWIDE  IMAGINATION
 LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FOR PURPOSES OF DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, PROMOTING,
 AND FOSTERING A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE INITIATIVE FOR ENCOURAGING CHIL-
 DREN  FROM  BIRTH  TO FIVE YEARS OF AGE TO DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING AND
 LEARNING.
   3. A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE  CONTRARY,  THE  OFFICE  OF
 CHILDREN  AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL ALLOCATE MONEYS AS GRANTS TO PROVIDE
 AGE-APPROPRIATE BOOKS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AT HOME, TO EACH CHILD  REGIS-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03261-02-5
              

 S. 3154--A                          2
 
 TERED  IN THE PROGRAM, FROM BIRTH TO THEIR FIFTH BIRTHDAY, INCLUSIVE, AT
 NO COST TO FAMILIES, THROUGH DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY.
   B.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE CONTRARY, THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
 DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL ALLOCATE MONEYS FROM THE FUND  AS  GRANTS
 TO  QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITIES THAT AGREE TO A DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCH FOR
 PURPOSES OF THE PROGRAM.
   C. NOTWITHSTANDING PARAGRAPH B OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  THE  OFFICE  OF
 CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES  MAY  WAIVE  THE DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCH
 REQUIREMENT FOR A QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITY  ON  A  CASE-BY-CASE  BASIS  TO
 PREVENT UNDUE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.
   4.  THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES 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 FOR
 CHILDREN OF THE STATE FROM BIRTH TO THEIR FIFTH BIRTHDAY, INCLUSIVE, FOR
 THE PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION.
   5. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL PROVIDE  OVERSIGHT
 TO  SUCH  NONPROFIT ENTITY TO FISCALLY MANAGE THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF
 NEW YORK FUND, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   A. PROMOTING THE STATEWIDE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL DOLLY  PARTON'S  IMAG-
 INATION LIBRARY PROGRAMS;
   B.  ADVANCING  AND  STRENGTHENING  LOCAL  DOLLY  PARTON'S  IMAGINATION
 LIBRARY PROGRAMS WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING ENROLLMENT;
   C. MANAGING THE DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE PROGRAM;
   D. SOLICITING DONATIONS,  GIFTS,  AND  OTHER  FUNDING  TO  FINANCIALLY
 SUPPORT LOCAL DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAMS;
   E. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT;
   F. DEVELOPING, PROMOTING, AND COORDINATING 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 ELIGI-
 BLE CHILDREN TO RECEIVE BOOKS THROUGH THE PROGRAM;
   G. ADMINISTERING THE LOCAL  MATCH  REQUIREMENT  AND  COORDINATING  THE
 COLLECTION AND REMITTANCE OF LOCAL PROGRAM COSTS FOR BOOKS AND MAILING;
   H. DEVELOPING STATEWIDE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION PLANS; AND
   I.  COLLECTING PARENT AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO SHOW IMPACT AND EFFEC-
 TIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM.
   6. ON OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND THIRTY, AND ANNUALLY THERE-
 AFTER, THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL SUBMIT A  REPORT
 TO  THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER
 OF THE ASSEMBLY ON ALL THE FOLLOWING:
   A. THE DEPOSITS MADE TO, AND EXPENDITURES MADE  FROM  THE  IMAGINATION
 LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND;
   B. WHETHER ANY LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENTS WERE WAIVED;
   C.  THE NUMBER OF LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT EXIST, THEIR LOCATION, AND WHICH
 ENTITY OR ORGANIZATION SERVES AS THE LOCAL PARTNER; AND
   D. THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE ENROLLED AND THE  NUMBER  OF  BOOKS
 THAT HAVE BEEN SENT TO SUCH ENROLLED CHILDREN.
   7.  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES MAY PROMULGATE REGU-
 LATIONS AS MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-bbbbb
 to read as follows:
   § 97-BBBBB. IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND. 1. THERE  IS  HEREBY
 ESTABLISHED  IN  THE  JOINT  CUSTODY  OF  THE  STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE
 COMMISSIONER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AN ACCOUNT OF THE MISCELLA-
 NEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE ACCOUNT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF
 NEW YORK FUND".
 S. 3154--A                          3
 
   2. MONEYS IN THIS FUND SHALL BE KEPT SEPARATE AND SHALL NOT BE COMMIN-
 GLED WITH ANY OTHER MONEYS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE STATE  COMPTROLLER  AND
 THE COMMISSIONER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES.
   3.  THE  IMAGINATION  LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONEYS
 APPROPRIATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH ACCOUNT, MONEYS TRANSFERRED TO SUCH
 ACCOUNT PURSUANT TO LAW, CONTRIBUTIONS CONSISTING OF PROMISES OR  GRANTS
 OF  ANY  MONEY  OR  PROPERTY OF ANY KIND OR VALUE, OR ANY OTHER THING OF
 VALUE, INCLUDING GRANTS OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM ANY AGENCY OF
 GOVERNMENT AND MONEYS REQUIRED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION OR  ANY
 OTHER LAW TO BE PAID INTO OR CREDITED TO THIS ACCOUNT.
   4. MONEYS OF THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF NEW YORK FUND, WHEN ALLOCATED,
 SHALL BE AVAILABLE, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDG-
 ET,  TO  PROVIDE  AGE-APPROPRIATE  BOOKS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AT HOME, TO
 EACH CHILD REGISTERED IN THE PROGRAM, FROM BIRTH TO THEIR  FIFTH  BIRTH-
 DAY,  INCLUSIVE, AT NO COST TO FAMILIES, THROUGH DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINA-
 TION LIBRARY.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.