A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 60-9-15 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER OF ALLOCATING AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR AID TO COUNTY LIBRARIES, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THESE FUNDS COUNTY LIBRARIES MUST CERTIFY TO THE STATE LIBRARY THAT THEY DO NOT OFFER ANY BOOKS OR MATERIALS THAT APPEAL TO THE PRURIENT INTERESTS OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN IN CHILDREN, YOUTH, OR TEEN BOOK SECTIONS AND ARE ONLY AVAILABLE WITH PARENTAL CONSENT, and to provide county libraries must recertify compliance with this provision quarterly before it may receive a disbursement of these funds.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 9, Title 60 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 60-9-15. (A) The amount appropriated by the General Assembly for Aid to County Libraries shall be allotted to each county on a per capita basis according to the most recent United States Census, as aid to the county library. No county shall be allocated less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars under this provision, subject to funding by the General Assembly. To receive this aid, local library support shall not be less than the amount actually expended for library operations from local sources in the second preceding year.

    (B) Prior to receiving funds described in subsection (B), county libraries must certify to the State Library that their county libraries do not offer any books or materials that appeal to the prurient interest of children under the age of seventeen in children, youth, or teen book sections of libraries and are only made available with explicit parental consent. Each county library must recertify this information quarterly each time it is to receive such funds, and the State Library shall confirm receipt of this recertification before it may disburse funds to a library.

 

SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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