(a) The State Librarian shall allocate grants pursuant to the program established by this part. The grants awarded under the program shall be awarded on a competitive basis.

(b) The State Librarian may contract with service providers or vendors to further the intent of the program established by this part.

(c) An advisory panel is hereby established and will be appointed to evaluate and make recommendations to the State Librarian based on grant applications. The members of the advisory panel shall be appointed as follows:

(1) The Governor shall appoint five members.

(2) The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint two members.

(3) The Senate Committee on Rules shall appoint two members.

(d) The State Librarian shall award grants for applications that meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Applicants demonstrate the capability to administer and complete the proposed project within specified deadlines and within the specified budget.

(2) Applicants have the experience, knowledge, and qualifications to conduct quality educational activities regarding the exclusion and detention of Japanese Americans during World War II and to link that period of history with current civil liberties challenges, including, but not limited to, civil rights violations or civil liberties injustices that are perpetrated on the basis of an individual’s race, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

(3) Projects link the Japanese American exclusion and detention experience with the experiences of other communities or populations so that the cause and circumstances of this and similar violations of civil rights or acts of injustice may be illuminated and understood and link those experiences with current civil liberties challenges, including, but not limited to, civil liberties injustices that are perpetrated on the basis of an individual’s race, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

(4) Projects are designed to maximize the long-term educational impact of this chapter.

(5) Projects build upon, contribute to, and expand upon the existing body of educational and research materials on the exclusion and detention of Japanese Americans during World War II or similar violations of civil rights or acts of injustice carried out against a particular community or population.

(6) Projects include the variety of experiences regarding the exclusion and detention of Japanese Americans and its impact before, during, and after World War II, including those Japanese Americans who served in the military and those who were incarcerated in Department of Justice camps, and link those experiences with current civil liberties challenges, including, but not limited to, civil liberties injustices that are perpetrated on the basis of an individual’s race, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

(e) Applicants for grants pursuant to this section are encouraged to do each of the following:

(1) Involve former detainees, those excluded from the military area, and their descendants in the development and implementation of projects.

(2) Involve individuals and their descendants from communities or populations that have experienced civil rights violations or acts of injustice in the development and implementation of projects.

(3) Develop a strategy and plan for raising the level of awareness and understanding among the American public regarding the exclusion and detention of Japanese Americans during World War II so that the causes and circumstances of this and similar events may be illuminated and understood.

(4) Develop a strategy and plan in the development and implementation of projects for raising the level of awareness and understanding among the American public regarding current civil liberties challenges, including, but not limited to, civil rights violations or civil liberties injustices that are perpetrated on the basis of an individual’s race, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

(5) Develop a strategy and plan for reaching the broad, multicultural population through project activities.

(6) Develop local and regional consortia of organizations and individuals engaged in similar educational, research, and development efforts.

(7) Coordinate and collaborate with organizations and individuals engaging in similar educational, research, and development endeavors to maximize the effect of projects.

(8) Utilize creative and innovative methods and approaches in the research, development, and implementation of their projects.

(9) Seek matching funds, in-kind contributions, or other sources of support to supplement their proposal.

(10) Use a variety of media, including new technology, and the arts to creatively and strategically appeal to a broad American public while enhancing and enriching community-based educational efforts.

(11) Include in the grant application scholarly inquiry related to the variety of experiences and impact of the exclusion and detention of persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II, as well as its relationship to the experience of other populations so that the causes, circumstances, lessons, and contemporary applications of this and similar events will be illuminated and understood.

(12) Include in the grant application scholarly inquiry related to the variety of experiences and impact of civil rights violations or acts of injustice carried out against a particular community or population, as well as their relationship to the experience of other communities or populations so that the causes, circumstances, lessons, and contemporary applications of this and similar events will be illuminated and understood.

(13) Add relevant materials to or catalogue relevant materials in libraries and other repositories for the creation, publication, and distribution of bibliographies, curriculum guides, oral histories, and other resource directories and supporting the continued development of scholarly work on this subject by making a broad range of archival, library, and research materials more accessible to the American public.

(f) The State Librarian may adopt other criteria as he or she deems appropriate for his or her review of grant proposals. In reviewing projects for funding, scoring shall be based on an evaluation of all application materials: narratives, attachments, support letters, supplementary materials, and other materials that may be requested of applicants.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 292, Sec. 2. (AB 491) Effective January 1, 2018.)