EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0300*
SENATE BILL 300
P3, F5 (3lr1370)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Ways and Means —
Introduced by Senator McCray
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at __ ______________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore City Young Readers Program – Expansion and and Young Readers 2
Matching Grant Program – Alterations 3
FOR the purpose of altering transferring the Baltimore City Young Readers Program to be 4
the Statewide Young Readers Program; establishing the Program within and the 5
Young Readers Matching Grant Program to the Maryland State Library Agency; 6
altering the purpose of the Program; and requiring the State Librarian to administer 7
the Program; programs; altering the purpose of the programs; authorizing public 8
libraries to apply for program grants grants from the Young Readers Matching Grant 9
Program; requiring program grant applicants to prioritize the distribution of books 10
to children in low–income zip codes within the applicants’ area of service; and 11
generally relating to the Baltimore City Young Readers Program and the Young 12
Readers Matching Grant Program. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14 2 SENATE BILL 300
Article – Human Services 1
Section 8–1401 through 8–1403 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 4
BY repealing 5
Article – Human Services 6
Section 8–1401 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 9
BY transferring 10
Article – Human Services 11
Section 8–1402 and 8–1403 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 14
to be 15
Article – Education 16
Section 23–110 and 23–111, respectively, 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – Education 21
Section 23–110 and 23–111 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2022 Replacement Volume) 24
(As enacted by Section 2 of this Act) 25
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 26
That Section(s) 8–1401 of Article – Human Services of the Annotated Code of Maryland be 27
repealed. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section(s) 8 –1402 and 8–1403 29
of Article – Human Services of the Annotated Code of Maryland be transferred to be 30
Section(s) 23–110 and 23–111, respectively, of Article – Education of the Annotated Code of 31
Maryland. 32
SECTION 1. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 33
OF MARYLAND , That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 34
Article – Human Services Education 35
8–1401. 36
In this subtitle, “early reader organization” means a nonprofit organization: 37
SENATE BILL 300 3
(1) that is tax exempt under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and 1
(2) whose mission is to [mail] DISTRIBUTE to children free, high–quality 2
books designed to aid the development of reading skills. 3
8–1402. 23–110. 4
(a) (1) In this section, “Program” means the [Baltimore City] STATEWIDE 5
Young Readers Program THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS IN DICATED. 6
(2) “EARLY READER ORGANIZA TION” MEANS A NONPROFIT 7
ORGANIZATION : 8
(I) THAT IS TAX EXEMPT UN DER § 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL 9
REVENUE CODE; AND 10
(II) WHOSE MISSION IS TO D ISTRIBUTE TO CHILDRE N FREE, 11
HIGH–QUALITY BOOKS DESIGN ED TO AID THE DEVELO PMENT OF READING SKI LLS. 12
(3) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE BALTIMORE CITY YOUNG READERS 13
PROGRAM. 14
(b) There is a [Baltimore City] STATEWIDE Young Readers Program in the 15
[Division] MARYLAND STATE LIBRARY AGENCY. 16
(c) The purpose of the Program is to work with an early reader organization to 17
[mail] DISTRIBUTE free, high–quality books to children in [Baltimore City] MARYLAND. 18
(d) The [Deputy Director] STATE LIBRARIAN shall: 19
(1) administer ADMINISTER the Program; and 20
(2) carry CARRY out the Program in partnership with an early reader 21
organization partner. 22
(e) For each fiscal year, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an 23
appropriation of $200,000 to the Program. 24
8–1403. 23–111. 25
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 26
(2) “Affiliated service” means a book–gifting service performed by a 27
nonprofit organization that is tax exempt under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 28 4 SENATE BILL 300
or a unit of State, county, or municipal government that forms an affiliated partnership 1
with an early reader organization. 2
(3) “EARLY READER ORGANIZA TION” MEANS A NONPROFIT 3
ORGANIZATION : 4
(I) THAT IS TAX EXEMPT UNDER § 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL 5
REVENUE CODE; AND 6
(II) WHOSE MISSION IS TO D ISTRIBUTE TO CHILDRE N FREE, 7
HIGH–QUALITY BOOKS DESIGN ED TO AID THE DEVELO PMENT OF READING SKI LLS. 8
(4) “Program” means the Young Readers Matching Grant Program. 9
(b) There is a Young Readers Matching Grant Program in the [Division] 10
MARYLAND STATE LIBRARY AGENCY. 11
(c) The purpose of the Program is to provide grants to PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND 12
affiliated services to: 13
(1) support SUPPORT the establishment and operation of affiliated 14
services; and 15
(2) contribute CONTRIBUTE an amount equal to the amount of funding 16
provided for the operation of an affiliated service. 17
(d) The [Deputy Director] STATE LIBRARIAN shall administer the Program. 18
(e) (1) [An] A PUBLIC LIBRARY OR AN affiliated service may submit an 19
application for a program grant on the form that the [Deputy Director] STATE LIBRARIAN 20
requires. 21
(2) An application for a program grant shall include a plan to ensure that 22
the PUBLIC LIBRARY OR TH E affiliated service is able to gift books to eligible children, 23
[including] PRIORITIZING children in low–income zip codes within its area of service. 24
(3) A program grant shall be disbursed to A PUBLIC LIBRARY OR an 25
affiliated service that qualifies for the Program. 26
(F) THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD SHALL: 27
(1) ON ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2024, AND EVERY OTHER YEAR 28
THEREAFTER , REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE EFFEC TIVENESS OF 29
THE PROGRAM IN A CCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 30
ARTICLE; AND 31 SENATE BILL 300 5
(2) COLLECT COLLECT STATISTICS AND OTHER INFORMATION 1
NECESSARY FOR THIS P URPOSE. 2
[(f)] (G) For each fiscal year, the Governor shall include in the annual budget 3
bill an appropriation of [$250,000] $500,000 $350,000 to the Program. 4
SECTION 2. 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
October 1, 2023. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.