§2508. Imagination Library of Louisiana and fund; creation; administration

            A. The Imagination Library of Louisiana is hereby established under the administration of the Louisiana Educational Television Authority, referred to in this Section as the "authority", for the purpose of developing, implementing, promoting, and fostering a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging children from birth to five years of age to develop a love of reading and learning.

            B.(1) Subject to appropriation of funds by the legislature as provided in Subsection C of this Section, the authority shall:

            (a) Promote the statewide development of local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library programs.

            (b) Advance and strengthen local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library programs with the goal of increasing enrollment.

            (c) Develop community engagement.

            (d) Develop, promote, and coordinate a public awareness campaign to make the public aware of the opportunity to register children to receive books through the program.

            (e) Receive monies appropriated to it for administration of the program.

            (f) Administer any local match requirements and coordinate the collection and remittance of local program costs. The authority may waive match requirements on a case-by-case basis to prevent undue financial hardship.

            (g) Provide an annual report to the governor and the legislature that includes all monies received by and expenditures made from the fund established in Subsection C of this Section; whether any local match requirements were waived; the number of local programs participating annually, including which entity serves as the local partner; how many children are enrolled in the program; and the number of books sent to enrolled children.

            (2) The authority may work collaboratively with an organization that provides age-appropriate books to children ages birth to five years old on a monthly basis in the implementation of the program.

            C.(1) The Imagination Library of Louisiana Fund, referred to in this Section as the "fund", is hereby created within the state treasury for the purpose of providing funding for the program.

            (2) Monies in the fund are subject to appropriation by the legislature and available exclusively for use by the authority for purposes of the program.

            (3) All monies appropriated by the legislature or designated to the fund through donation, gift, grant, or any other revenue shall be deposited in the fund. Monies in the fund shall be invested in the same manner as monies are invested in the state general fund. Interest earned on investment of monies in the fund shall be credited to the fund.

            (4) All unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund and be available for appropriation the next fiscal year. The monies shall be invested by the treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and all interest earned shall be credited to the fund following compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

            Acts 2023, No. 181, §1, eff. June 8, 2023.