Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H4311 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4311
2	2	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
3	3	________________________________________
4	4	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 8, 2024.
5	5	The committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development to whom
6	6	was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3247) of Sarah
7	7	K. Peake, Rebecca L. Rausch and Dylan A. Fernandes for legislation to
8	8	create the position of poet laureate of the Commonwealth, reports
9	9	recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4311) ought to
10	10	pass.
11	11	For the committee,
12	12	MINDY DOMB. 1 of 2
13	13	FILED ON: 2/2/2024
14	14	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4311
15	15	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
16	16	_______________
17	17	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
18	18	(2023-2024)
19	19	_______________
20	20	An Act relative to the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
21	21	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
22	22	of the same, as follows:
23	23	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 official edition, is
24	24	2hereby amended by inserting after Section 38, the following section:-
25	25	3 Section 38A. (a) Biennially, on or before March 31, the governor may appoint a poet
26	26	4laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts from a list of nominees submitted by the poet
27	27	5laureate nominating committee pursuant to subsection (b). The poet laureate shall seek to raise
28	28	6the consciousness of all commonwealth residents, especially school children, to a greater
29	29	7appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The poet laureate shall be appointed to serve
30	30	8for a term of 2 years or until a successor is appointed and qualified as provided in this section. In
31	31	9the event of a vacancy in the office of poet laureate, the vacancy shall be filled in the same
32	32	10manner as the original appointment.
33	33	11 (b) There shall be a poet laureate nominating committee consisting of the following 5
34	34	12members: the speaker of the house of representatives, or a designee; the senate president, or a
35	35	13designee; 2 members appointed by the governor; and the executive director of the Massachusetts 2 of 2
36	36	14center for the book, or a designee. Members of the poet laureate nominating committee shall
37	37	15serve without compensation.
38	38	16 (c) The poet laureate nominating committee shall advertise and receive nominations for
39	39	17the selection of the poet laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Nominees shall be
40	40	18residents of the commonwealth and shall provide biographical and professional information, as
41	41	19well as supporting representative material, explaining why, based on their poetic
42	42	20accomplishments, they deserve recognition as the poet laureate for commonwealth of
43	43	21Massachusetts. The poet laureate nominating committee shall review all nominations and select
44	44	223 nominees to submit to the governor biennially on or before February 1.
45	45	23 (d) The person appointed to the position of poet laureate may receive remuneration
46	46	24through the Massachusetts center for the book. The Massachusetts center for the book may
47	47	25establish an appropriate stipend for the poet laureate and may provide for the payment of the poet
48	48	26laureate's expenses incurred in fulfilling of their responsibilities, subject to appropriation.