§9133 Payments; Federal Share; and Maintenance of Effort Requirements

Summary

If Congress provides money under section 9123, the Director must pay each State library administrative agency with an approved plan under section 9134 the federal share of the costs in that plan. The federal share is 66 percent. The rest must come from non‑federal sources, like State or local funds. A State’s federal payment can be cut if the State spends less on library programs than its recent average. If the previous year’s spending is below the average of the three years before that, the State’s allotment for the year will be reduced. The cut equals the allotment times a fraction: (the three‑year average minus the State’s spending) divided by that same three‑year average. If federal funding under this law drops from one year to the next, the required State spending is reduced by the same percent. “State expenditures” means State dollars spent by the State library agency on eligible programs in that fiscal year; it excludes capital costs, one‑time projects, or similar windfalls. The Director may waive the spending rule for emergencies, like natural disasters or sudden, severe declines in State funds.