Legislative Update
Senate Bill 185 Clears House State Government and Elections Committee
William Morris
Executive Assistant to the State Librarian & Legislative Liaison
The House State Government and Elections Committee unanimously approved the omnibus public libraries bill, Senate Bill 185, on Thursday February 14, 2008. No changes were made to the bill by the committee.
The bill would make several changes to the public library law including:
- Limiting the number of public libraries eligible for Library and Local Government Support Fund to the current 251,
- Renaming the position of library clerk to library fiscal officer
- Changing the name of the Library and Local Government Support Fund to the Public Library Fund.
- Authorizing libraries to pay library employees by direct deposit.
- Correcting an oversight in the recently passed changed to the public records law by adding school district free public libraries to the specified public libraries that must have a library records commission.
- Shortening, from four to two weeks, the time period required for advertising for sealed bids for library public improvements exceeding a cost of $25,000.
- Codifying the Ohio Public Library Information Network in permanent law.
The bill will now be considered by the full House. The bill and its analysis are available online at the General Assembly website.