FILED ON: 12/11/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3811

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act relative to the State House architect.

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. Said chapter 6 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 20 the following section:-

Section 21. (a) The governor shall select an architect of the state house from a list of 3 nominees submitted by the nominating committee pursuant to this paragraph. 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 5 years or until a successor is appointed.

The nominating committee shall consist of 7 members, 2 of whom shall be members of the senate appointed by the senate president, 1 of whom shall be a member of the senate appointed by the senate minority leader, 2 of whom shall be members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house, 1 of whom shall be a member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives, and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the governor. The members of the nominating committee shall serve without compensation.

Before the expiration of the term of the architect or upon a vacancy in the position, 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 3 nominees who are residents of the commonwealth and have achieved fellow status within the American Institute of Architects. With the names of the 3 nominees, the nominating committee shall submit to the governor biographical and professional information about each nominee along with supporting representative material that shows why the nominee is deserving of appointment as the architect of the state house.

(b) The architect of the state house shall be an honorary position and the person appointed shall receive no remuneration and shall not be considered a state official or employee for such person’s service. The architect of the state house shall be an advocate for the physical, historic and aesthetic nature of the state house and seek to raise the consciousness of all people to a greater appreciation of the architecture and architectural history of the state house and other architecturally significant public buildings in the commonwealth.