HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3804        FILED ON: 6/7/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3571

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE POSITION OF ARCHITECT OF THE STATE HOUSE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 6A the following section:

Section 6B. (A) The governor may select an architect of the state house from the list of nominees submitted to the governor by the commonwealth architect of the statehouse nominating committee pursuant to this section. The nominating committee shall submit a list of three nominees to the governor by February 1st. The governor shall appoint the architect within 30 days after receiving the list of nominees. The architect shall be appointed to serve for a term of 4 years or until a successor is appointed and qualified as provided in this section.

(B) (1) There shall be an architect of the state  house nominating committee. The nominating committee shall consist of 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall be the senate president or the president’s designee; and 1 of whom shall be the senate minority leader or the minority leader’s designee; 2 members of the house of representatives 1 of whom shall be the speaker of the house or the speaker’s designee; and 1 of whom shall be the minority leader of the house of representatives or the minority leader’s designee; and the governor or the governor’s designee. The nominating committee shall serve without compensation.

(2) The nominating committee shall request and receive 5 nominations for the selection of the architect from the Massachusetts chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The nominating committee shall review all nominations and select a list of 3 nominees who are residents of the commonwealth and have achieved fellow status within the American Institute of Architects. Along with the names of the 3 nominees, the nominating committee will submit to the governor the nominee’s biographical and professional information along with supporting representative material which will show, based on the nominee’s professional accomplishments as a licensed architect and why the nominee is deserving of the recognition as the architect of the statehouse. The governor will select the architect from the list of nominees for a  4 year term.

(3) In addition to the powers and duties applicable to the nominating committee, the committee shall appoint a separate committee whose charge is to establish, maintain and operate a nonprofit corporation to be called the State House Trust, Inc. under chapter 180 for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  This committee shall consist of the architect of the statehouse or the architect’s designee; the Massachusetts art commission curator or the curator’s designee; the superintendent of the bureau of state office buildings or the superintendent’s designee; the state auditor or the auditor’s designee; and a person shall be a designee from the state historical commission. The purpose of the State House Trust, Inc. will be to raise money for construction, reconstruction, installation, demolition, maintenance or repair projects at, on or within the state house which is deemed to be of architectural, cultural, aesthetic or historic merit. The State House Trust, Inc. will work in conjunction with the bureau of state office buildings to coordinate all efforts related to projects at, on or within the state house and grounds.

(c) In the event of a vacancy in the office of architect of the state house, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, and the person so appointed shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified as provided in this section.

(d) The architect of the state house during his or her term shall seek to raise the consciousness of all people to a greater appreciation of the architecture and architectural history of the state house, and

(e) The architect of the state house shall be an honorary position and the person appointed shall receive no remuneration. The person appointed to the position of architect of the statehouse shall not be considered a state official or a state employee for such person's service in the position of architect of the state house.