Wyoming imagination library program.

25LSO-0229
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0229
Numbered
2.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0014

Wyoming imagination library program.

Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; establishing the Wyoming imagination library program; providing funding for the free distribution of books to young children as specified; providing definitions; creating an account; requiring rulemaking; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
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2
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205 is created to read:

21
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2
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205.

Wyoming imagination library program.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"County based affiliate program" means a local affiliate of the Wyoming imagination library program that operates within a county;

(ii)

"Participating county" means a county with not less than one (1) county based affiliate program;

(iii)

"Registered eligible child" means a child from birth to five (5) years of age who resides in this state and who is registered in a county based affiliate program.

(b)

The Wyoming imagination library program is created to be administered by the department of education. The purpose of the program shall be to promote the development of a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging children from birth to five (5) years of age to develop a love of reading and learning.

(c)

The department of education shall coordinate with a nonprofit entity, qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and organized solely to promote and encourage reading by children, to:

(i)

Provide at least one (1) age appropriate book to each registered eligible child in each participating county monthly at no cost to families;

(ii)

Promote the statewide development of county based affiliate programs and advance and strengthen the county based affiliate programs to increase enrollment;

(iii)

Develop a public awareness campaign to promote the program and ensure the public is aware of the opportunity to register eligible children to receive free books through the program;

(iv)

Administer the county based affiliate program funding match requirement as specified in subsection (d) of this section and coordinate the collection and remittance of books;

(v)

Solicit donations, gifts and other funding to financially support county based affiliate programs.

(d)

Each participating county based affiliate program shall contribute fifty percent (50%) of the funds required for the program to operate in the county directly to the department of education. The department of education shall manage the funds received by each participating county based affiliate program. To the extent that funds are available in the Wyoming imagination library program account created in subsection (e) of this section, the department of education shall provide to each participating county based affiliate program an additional amount from the Wyoming imagination library program account not to exceed the amount of funds received from each participating county based affiliate program.

(e)

There is created the Wyoming imagination library program account. The account shall include all legislative appropriations and all monies received from grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations to the account. The account is authorized to accept grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations. All monies received shall be deposited into the account. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
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2
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1008, 9
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2
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1012(e) or 9
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4
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207, unobligated and unexpended funds in the account shall not lapse or revert and shall remain in the account and be available for distribution as provided in this section.

(f)

Monies deposited into the Wyoming imagination library program account shall be continuously appropriated to and expended by the department of education to administer the Wyoming imagination library program established under subsection (b) of this section and to provide the state's share of any matching funds as required under subsection (d) of this section.

(g)

Funds in the Wyoming imagination library program account shall be invested by the state treasurer pursuant to law and the investment earnings shall be credited to the account.

(h)

The department of education shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out this section.

Section 2
.

There is appropriated three hundred twenty thousand dollars ($320,000.00) from the general fund to the Wyoming imagination library program account created in section 1 of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
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2
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1008, 9
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2
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1012(e) and 9
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4
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207 this appropriation shall not revert. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation shall be included in the department of education's standard budget for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 3
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This act is effective July 1, 2025.

(END)

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SF0014