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SB34
I3RGN6W-1
By Senator Kitchens
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 17-Dec-25
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I3RGN6W-1 11/19/2025 KMS (L)lg 2025-3419
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PFD: 17-Dec-25
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would create the Imagination Library
of Alabama Program to provide free age-appropriate
books to children throughout the state through Dolly
Parton's Imagination Library.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to the Department of Early Childhood
Education; to create the Imagination Library of Alabama
Program to provide free age-appropriate books to children
through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library; to require the
department to coordinate with a nonprofit entity to operate
the program; and to require the department to adopt rules as
needed for the administration of the program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) To promote the development of a
comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging preschool
age children to develop a love of reading and learning, the
Department of Early Childhood Education may develop, fund,
support, promote, and operate the Imagination Library of
Alabama Program, which is established by this section. For
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Alabama Program, which is established by this section. For
purposes of this section, "state program" means the
Imagination Library of Alabama Program.
(b) State program funds shall be used to provide,
through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, one
age-appropriate book, per month, to each registered child from
birth to age five in participating counties. Books shall be
sent monthly to each registered child's home at no cost to
families. Subject to an annual appropriation, the Department
of Early Childhood Education shall contribute the state's
matching funds per the cost-sharing framework established by
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for the state program. The
state program shall contribute the 50 percent match of funds
required of local programs participating in Dolly Parton's
Imagination Library. Local program partners shall match the
state program funds to provide the remaining 50 percent match
of funds required by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library as
described in paragraph (2)a.
(1) The Imagination Library of Alabama Fund is created
as a special fund in the State Treasury. The Department of
Early Childhood Education may accept gifts, grants, awards,
donations, matching contributions, appropriations, interest
income, public or private bequests, and cost sharings from any
individual, business, government, or other third-party source,
and any federal funds. All monies received pursuant to this
section shall be deposited into the State Treasury to the
credit of the Imagination Library of Alabama Fund. Amounts
deposited into the fund shall be budgeted and allotted in
accordance with Sections 41-4-80 through 41-4-96 and Sections
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accordance with Sections 41-4-80 through 41-4-96 and Sections
41-19-1 through 41-19-12, Code of Alabama 1975. Any monies
that are unobligated or unexpended at the end of a fiscal year
shall remain in the Imagination Library of Alabama Fund, shall
not lapse into the State General Fund, and shall be available
to the department for expenditure in the next fiscal year,
subject to appropriation.
(2) Monies received pursuant to this section are
subject to appropriation by the Legislature and may only be
expended for purposes consistent with the conditions under
which the monies were received including, but not limited to,
the following:
a. Subject to availability, monies in the fund shall be
allocated to qualified local entities that provide a
dollar-for-dollar match for the program. As used in this
section, "qualified local entity" means any existing or new
local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library affiliate.
b. Monies in the fund may be used by the Department of
Early Childhood Education to pay for administrative expenses
of the state program, including associated operating expenses
of the department or any nonprofit entity that coordinates the
state program pursuant to subsection (c).
(c) The Department of Early Childhood Education shall
coordinate with a nonprofit entity qualified under 26 U.S.C. §
501(c)(3) to operate the state program. That organization
shall be organized solely to promote and encourage reading by
the children of this state, for the purpose of implementing
this section.
(d) The Department of Early Childhood Education shall
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(d) The Department of Early Childhood Education shall
provide oversight of the nonprofit entity that operates the
state program pursuant to subsection (c) to ensure the
nonprofit entity does all of the following:
(1) Promotes the statewide development of local Dolly
Parton's Imagination Library programs.
(2) Advances and strengthens local Dolly Parton's
Imagination Library programs with the goal of increasing
enrollment.
(3) Develops community engagement.
(4) Develops, promotes, and coordinates a public
awareness campaign to make donors aware of the opportunity to
donate to the affiliate programs and make the public aware of
the opportunity to register eligible children to receive books
through the program.
(5) Administers the local match requirement and
coordinates the collection and remittance of local program
costs for books and mailing.
(6) Develops statewide marketing and communication
plans.
(7) Solicits donations, gifts, and other funding from
statewide partners to financially support local Dolly Parton's
Imagination Library programs.
(8) Identifies and applies for available grant awards.
(e) The Department of Early Childhood Education shall
make publicly available on an annual basis information
regarding the number of local programs that exist, where the
local programs are located, the number of children that are
enrolled in the program, the number of books that have been
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enrolled in the program, the number of books that have been
provided, and the names of those entities or organizations
that serve as local partners.
(f) The Department of Early Childhood Education may
adopt rules as may be needed for the administration of the
Imagination Library of Alabama Program.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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