By Mr. Hill of Ipswich, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3401) of Bradford Hill relative to the funding of joint public libraries.  Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

——————

PETITION OF:

 

Bradford Hill

 

 

 

——————

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

——————

 

 An Act relative to joint public libraries.

 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

 

Section 19A of chapter 78 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

 

                For a joint public library, the board may approve at the request of the cities or towns served by said library a single appropriation requirement in determining compliance with his section.  The requirement shall be calculated by aggregating the appropriations of the cities or town administering the library.  The board may, upon petition by all of the cities or towns served by a joint public library, waive the aforesaid single appropriation requirement upon a demonstration of fiscal hardship.  A joint public library is defined as an undertaking of two or more cities or towns to provide public library service to their residents through a single administrative entity.