HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1394        FILED ON: 1/16/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2999

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sarah K. Peake and Denise Provost

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to create the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

1/16/2013

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/17/2013

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

Cleon H. Turner

1st Barnstable

 

Anne M. Gobi

5th Worcester

 

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

1/30/2013

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

 

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

 

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

 

Timothy R. Madden

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

 

Martha M. Walz

8th Suffolk

 

Christine E. Canavan

10th Plymouth

 

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

 

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

 

Daniel B. Winslow

9th Norfolk

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Brian R. Mannal

2nd Barnstable

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1394        FILED ON: 1/16/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2999

By Representatives Peake of Provincetown and Provost of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2999) of Sarah K. Peake and others for legislation to create the position of poet laureate of the Commonwealth.  Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4543 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act to create the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

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 38, the following section:-

 

Section 38A. (a) Biennially, on or before March 31, the governor may appoint a poet laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts from a list of nominees submitted by the poet laureate nominating committee pursuant to subsection (b). The poet laureate shall seek to raise the consciousness of all commonwealth residents, especially school children, to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The poet laureate shall be appointed to serve for a term of 2 years or until a successor is appointed and qualified as provided in this section. In the event of a vacancy in the office of poet laureate, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(b) There shall be a poet laureate nominating committee consisting of the following 5 members: the speaker of the house of representatives, or a designee; the senate president, or a designee; and 3 members appointed by the governor, 2 of whom shall be members of the board of directors of the Massachusetts cultural council. Members of the poet laureate nominating committee shall serve without compensation.

(c) The poet laureate nominating committee shall advertise and receive nominations for the selection of the poet laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Nominees shall be residents of the commonwealth and shall provide biographical and professional information, as well as supporting representative material, explaining why, based on their poetic accomplishments, they deserve recognition as the poet laureate for commonwealth of Massachusetts. The poet laureate nominating committee shall review all nominations and select 3 nominees to submit to the governor biennially on or before February 1.

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