2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-02291SF0014
SENATE FILE NO. SF0014
Wyoming imagination library program.
Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to education; establishing the Wyoming
2 imagination library program; providing funding for the free
3 distribution of books to young children as specified;
4 providing definitions; creating an account; requiring
5 rulemaking; providing an appropriation; and providing for
6 an effective date.
7
8
9
10. W.S. 21-2-205 is created to read:
11
12
13
14 (a) As used in this section:
15 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02292SF00141 (i) "County based affiliate program" means a
2 local affiliate of the Wyoming imagination library program
3 that operates within a county;
4
5 (ii) "Participating county" means a county with
6 not less than one (1) county based affiliate program;
7
8 (iii) "Registered eligible child" means a child
9 from birth to five (5) years of age who resides in this
10 state and who is registered in a county based affiliate
11 program.
12
13 (b) The Wyoming imagination library program is
14 created to be administered by the department of education.
15 The purpose of the program shall be to promote the
16 development of a comprehensive statewide initiative for
17 encouraging children from birth to five (5) years of age to
18 develop a love of reading and learning.
19
20 (c) The department of education shall coordinate with
21 a nonprofit entity, qualified under section 501(c)(3) of
22 the Internal Revenue Code and organized solely to promote
23 and encourage reading by children, to: 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02293SF0014
1
2 (i) Provide at least one (1) age appropriate
3 book to each registered eligible child in each
4 participating county monthly at no cost to families;
5
6 (ii) Promote the statewide development of county
7 based affiliate programs and advance and strengthen the
8 county based affiliate programs to increase enrollment;
9
10 (iii) Develop a public awareness campaign to
11 promote the program and ensure the public is aware of the
12 opportunity to register eligible children to receive free
13 books through the program;
14
15 (iv) Administer the county based affiliate
16 program funding match requirement as specified in
17 subsection (d) of this section and coordinate the
18 collection and remittance of books;
19
20 (v) Solicit donations, gifts and other funding
21 to financially support county based affiliate programs.
22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02294SF00141 (d) Each participating county based affiliate program
2 shall contribute fifty percent (50%) of the funds required
3 for the program to operate in the county directly to the
4 department of education. The department of education shall
5 manage the funds received by each participating county
6 based affiliate program. To the extent that funds are
7 available in the Wyoming imagination library program
8 account created in subsection (e) of this section, the
9 department of education shall provide to each participating
10 county based affiliate program an additional amount from
11 the Wyoming imagination library program account not to
12 exceed the amount of funds received from each participating
13 county based affiliate program.
14
15 (e) There is created the Wyoming imagination library
16 program account. The account shall include all legislative
17 appropriations and all monies received from grants, gifts,
18 transfers, bequests and donations to the account. The
19 account is authorized to accept grants, gifts, transfers,
20 bequests and donations. All monies received shall be
21 deposited into the account. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008,
22 9-2-1012(e) or 9-4-207, unobligated and unexpended funds in
23 the account shall not lapse or revert and shall remain in 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02295SF0014
1 the account and be available for distribution as provided
2 in this section.
3
4 (f) Monies deposited into the Wyoming imagination
5 library program account shall be continuously appropriated
6 to and expended by the department of education to
7 administer the Wyoming imagination library program
8 established under subsection (b) of this section and to
9 provide the state's share of any matching funds as required
10 under subsection (d) of this section.
11
12 (g) Funds in the Wyoming imagination library program
13 account shall be invested by the state treasurer pursuant
14 to law and the investment earnings shall be credited to the
15 account.
16
17 (h) The department of education shall promulgate
18 rules necessary to carry out this section.
19
20. There is appropriated three hundred twenty
21 thousand dollars ($320,000.00) from the general fund to the
22 Wyoming imagination library program account created in
23 section 1 of this act. This appropriation shall be for the 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02296SF0014
1 period beginning with the effective date of this act. This
2 appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any
3 other purpose. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-21008, 9-2-1012(e)
4 and 9-4-207 this appropriation shall not revert. It is the
5 intent of the legislature that this appropriation shall be
6 included in the department of education's standard budget
7 for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.
8
9. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
10
11 (END)