00                            SENATE BILL NO. 261                                                                         
01 "An Act establishing the museum construction and major expansion matching grant                                         
02 program."                                                                                                               
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 14.57 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
05              Article 4. Museum Construction and Expansion Grants.                                                     
06 Sec. 14.57.300. Museum construction and major expansion grant                                                         
07 program. (a) A matching grant program for museum construction and major                                               
08 expansion is established in the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic                                         
09 Development. A grant may be awarded to a museum for construction of a new facility                                      
10       or a major expansion project to                                                                                   
11                 (1)  increase the square footage of an existing facility by at least 30                                 
12       percent;                                                                                                          
13                 (2)  add storage space for artifacts in an existing museum facility;                                    
14                 (3)  acquire new artifacts;                                                                             

01                 (4)  expand the services or programs offered by the museum;                                             
02                 (5)  improve or renovate the existing infrastructure of a museum facility                               
03       to extend the life of the facility; or                                                                            
04                 (6)  build, purchase, or lease additional space to store artifacts or                                   
05       construct exhibits that is not connected to the original museum facility.                                         
06            (b)  A person in charge of construction or major expansion of an eligible                                    
07       museum may apply to the department for a matching grant under regulations adopted                                 
08       by the department.                                                                                                
09            (c)  Subject to appropriation, the department shall award not more than 50                                   
10       percent of the total proposed grant project costs to an eligible applicant.                                       
11            (d)  To be eligible for a grant under this section, an applicant must provide                                
12       matching funds from                                                                                               
13                 (1)  the local government entity in an amount that is at least 20 percent                               
14       of the total proposed grant project costs; and                                                                    
15                 (2)  private donors in an amount that is equal to or greater than the                                   
16       remaining total of the proposed grant project costs after the state and local                                     
17       contributions are made toward the project.                                                                        
18            (e)  The department shall establish regulations to implement this section.                                   
19            (f)  In this section,                                                                                        
20                 (1)  "department" means the Department of Commerce, Community,                                          
21       and Economic Development;                                                                                         
22                 (2)  "museum" has the meaning given in AS 14.57.290.