§ 8 — State grants

(a) There shall be a program of State grants within the limitations of funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly together with other funds made available by the federal government or other sources for this purpose. This program of State grants shall be administered by the State Librarian in accordance with rules and regulations as provided in Section 3 of this Act and shall include the following: (i) annual equalization grants; (ii) Library System grants; (iii) per capita grants to public libraries; (iv) planning and construction grants to library systems and public libraries that are members of a library system; and (v) grants to improve or enhance security of libraries. (b) An annual equalization grant shall be made to all public libraries for which the corporate authorities levy a tax for library purposes at a rate not less than .13% of the value of all the taxable property as equalized and assessed by the Department of Revenue if the amount of tax revenue obtained from a rate of .13% produces less than $17.50 per capita in property tax revenue from property taxes for Fiscal Year 2025 and thereafter. In that case, the State Librarian is authorized to make an equalization grant equivalent to the difference between the amount obtained from a rate of .13% and an annual income of $17.50 per capita for grants made in Fiscal Year 2025 and thereafter. If moneys appropriated for grants under this Section are not sufficient, then the State Librarian shall reduce the per capita amount of the grants so that the qualifying public libraries receive the same amount per capita, but in no event shall the grant be less than equivalent to the difference between the amount of the tax revenue obtained from the current levy and an annual income of $4.25 per capita. If a library receiving an equalization grant reduces its tax levy below the amount levied at the time the original application is approved, it shall be ineligible to receive further equalization grants. If a library is subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code and its tax levy for library purposes has been lowered to a rate of less than .13%, the library will qualify for this grant if the library levied a tax for library purposes that met the requirements for this grant in the previous year and if the tax levied for library purposes in the current year produces tax revenue for the library that is an increase over the previous year's extension of 5% or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less, and the tax revenue produced by this levy is less than $17.50 per capita in property tax revenue from property taxes for the Fiscal Year 2025 and thereafter. In this case, the State Librarian is authorized to make an equalization grant equivalent to the difference between the amount of tax revenue obtained from the current levy and an annual income of $17.50 per capita for grants made in Fiscal Year 2025 and thereafter. If moneys appropriated for grants under this Section are not sufficient, then the State Librarian shall reduce the per capita amount of the grants so that the qualifying public libraries receive the same amount per capita, but in no event shall the grant be less than equivalent to the difference between the amount of the tax revenue obtained from the current levy and an annual income of $4.25 per capita. If a library receiving an equalization grant reduces its tax levy below the amount levied at the time the original application is approved, it shall be ineligible to receive further equalization grants. (c) Annual Library System grants shall be made, upon application, to each library system approved by the State Librarian on the following basis: (1) For library systems, the sum of $1.46 per capita of the population of the area served plus the sum of $50.75 per square mile or fraction thereof of the area served except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection. (2) If the amounts appropriated for grants are different from the amount provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the area and per capita funding shall be proportionately reduced or increased accordingly. (3) For library systems, additional funds may be appropriated. The appropriation shall be distributed on the same proportional per capita and per square mile basis as provided in paragraphs (1) and (4) of this subsection. (4) Per capita and area funding for a multitype library system as defined in subparagraph (3) of the definition of "library system" in Section 2 and a public library system in cities with a population of 500,000 or more as defined in subparagraph (2) of the definition of "library system" in Section 2 shall be apportioned with 25% of the funding granted to the multitype library system and 75% of the funding granted to the public library system. (d) The "area served" for the purposes of making and expending annual Library System grants means the area that lies within the geographic boundaries of the library system as approved by the State Librarian, except that grant funding awarded to a library system may also be expended for the provision of services to members of other library systems if such an expenditure is included in a library system's plan of service and is approved by the State Librarian. In determining the population of the area served by the library system, the Illinois State Library shall use the latest federal census for the political subdivisions in the area served. (e) In order to be eligible for a grant under this Section, the corporate authorities, instead of a tax levy at a particular rate, may provide an amount equivalent to the amount produced by that levy.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-588, eff. 7-1-24; 104-108, eff. 1-1-26 .)