Sec. 441.131.  REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM.  (a)  The governing bodies of two-thirds of the member libraries of a major resource system may elect, for the purpose of administering the receipt and dispersal of services under this subchapter within their area, to form a regional library system that includes all libraries that are members of the major resource system.
(b)  Governing bodies of libraries within a regional library system may establish a nonprofit corporation under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act (Article 1396-1.01 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) to administer the system or may contract with a private business to administer the system.  If the governing bodies form a nonprofit corporation, they may select a board of directors and adopt bylaws for the corporation.  Bylaws adopted or a contract executed under this section may permit other libraries operated by the following entities to become members of the regional library system:
(1)  a public school district;
(2)  an institution of higher education;
(3)  a unit of local, state, or federal government;
(4)  an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school; or
(5)  a special or research library.
(b-1)  Bylaws adopted under Subsection (b) may provide for reorganization, merger, division, and dissolution.
(b-2)  A library that joins a regional system under this section must agree to loan materials without charge to users of other libraries in the system.
(c)  To ensure the sound management and viability of regional library systems, the commission shall include in its rules provisions stipulating a cash reserve requirement for regional library systems.  To enable the accumulation of sufficient reserves for the sole purpose of cash flow management, regional library systems may retain up to five percent of their annual system operation grant general revenue funds from year to year until the commission's reserve requirement is satisfied.  These funds must be held in a federally insured account and the commission may provide for periodic reporting of the funds and their inclusion in the annual audit.  Interest earned on these funds shall be retained in this account and shall be subject to the same terms and reporting as the corpus.  These funds remain the property of the state, and if the commission ceases to contract with a regional library system, such funds must be fully and promptly returned as provided by this section.
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 147, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.  Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 155, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 213, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 983 (H.B. 3756), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2009.