Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3590 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2644 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3590
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mindy Domb and David T. Vieira
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/16/2025David T. Vieira3rd Barnstable1/16/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2644 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3590
18	18	By Representatives Domb of Amherst and Vieira of Falmouth, a petition (accompanied by bill,
19	19	House, No. 3590) of Mindy Domb and David T. Vieira relative to the position of poet laureate
20	20	for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act relative to the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section
30	30	238, the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 38A. (a) Biennially, on or before March 31, the governor may appoint a poet
32	32	4laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts from a list of nominees submitted by the poet
33	33	5laureate nominating committee pursuant to subsection (b). The poet laureate shall seek to raise
34	34	6the consciousness of all commonwealth residents, especially school children, to a greater
35	35	7appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The poet laureate shall be appointed to serve
36	36	8for a term of 2 years or until a successor is appointed and qualified as provided in this section. In
37	37	9the event of a vacancy in the office of poet laureate, the vacancy shall be filled in the same
38	38	10manner as the original appointment.
39	39	11 (b) There shall be a poet laureate nominating committee consisting of the following 5
40	40	12members: the speaker of the house of representatives, or a designee; the senate president, or a 2 of 2
41	41	13designee; 2 members appointed by the governor; and the executive director of the Massachusetts
42	42	14center for the book, or a designee. Members of the poet laureate nominating committee shall
43	43	15serve without compensation.
44	44	16 (c) The poet laureate nominating committee shall advertise and receive nominations for
45	45	17the selection of the poet laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Nominees shall be
46	46	18residents of the commonwealth and shall provide biographical and professional information, as
47	47	19well as supporting representative material, explaining why, based on their poetic
48	48	20accomplishments, they deserve recognition as the poet laureate for commonwealth of
49	49	21Massachusetts. The poet laureate nominating committee shall review all nominations and select
50	50	223 nominees to submit to the governor biennially on or before February 1.
51	51	23 (d) The person appointed to the position of poet laureate may receive remuneration
52	52	24through the Massachusetts center for the book. The Massachusetts center for the book may
53	53	25establish an appropriate stipend for the poet laureate and may provide for the payment of the poet
54	54	26laureate's expenses incurred in fulfilling of their responsibilities, subject to appropriation.