Committee weighs 95%/5% funding split for after-school and summer library grants in competing draft

Montpelier — During the Feb. 18 session the Senate Education Committee reviewed competing drafts for funding after‑school and summer programming connected to a special fund. Legislative counsel described two options: a broader 2.1 draft and a prescriptive 3.1 draft that apportions fund revenue.

Tucker Anderson, legislative counsel, told the committee that, under draft 3.1, "95% of the cannabis sales tax revenue that's deposited in the fund shall be used by the agency of education... Subdivision 5% of that revenue... shall be used by the Department of Libraries to support after school and summer programming in libraries." Anderson said the draft also applies the same eligibility and nondiscrimination criteria across both program streams.

Catherine Del Lam, state librarian and commissioner of the Department of Libraries, asked whether the bill’s use of the term "libraries" was meant to include public libraries only or also school libraries, noting that definitions in statute and program intent matter for grantee eligibility. "Is this envisioned to support programming at any library or at public libraries?" Del Lam asked, requesting clearer statutory language.

Committee members said they lack a complete dataset of current grantees and asked Agency of Education staff to provide a spreadsheet showing which entities have received funding under comparable programs and how much. Members discussed the possibility of setting a capped dollar amount instead of a flat percentage and noted that libraries historically have found it difficult to apply for or administer these grants.

The committee did not adopt a final allocation and asked staff to return with grantee data and cost estimates before selecting percentage thresholds or caps. Tucker Anderson offered to walk the committee through the underlying bill and total program cost in a subsequent meeting.