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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2277 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3592
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mary S. Keefe and Steven Ultrino
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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 establishing a program for local art and community engagement.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester1/15/2025Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/15/2025 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2277 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3592
By Representatives Keefe of Worcester and Ultrino of Malden, a petition (accompanied by bill,
House, No. 3592) of Mary S. Keefe and Steven Ultrino relative to establishing a program for
local art and community engagement commission in support of local art and community
engagement. Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act establishing a program for local art and community engagement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 7C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-
3 Section 73. Whereas public buildings and infrastructure are the physical manifestation of
4the commonwealth’s identity and connection with its citizens, and whereas the commonwealths
5rich diversity of cultural communities is one of its greatest assets, and whereas a statewide public
6art program would ensure that our citizenry’s diverse cultural heritage enhances the built
7environment across the state and result in increased civic participation and economic prosperity
8through local investment and increased tourism, therefore the commonwealth will enact An Act
9establishing a program for local art and community engagement.
10 There shall be in the executive office of housing and livable communities a commission
11to be known as the program for local art and community engagement commission (“the PLACE 2 of 5
12Commission”), which shall consist of 1 member to be appointed by the governor and who shall
13be an artist or representative from a nonprofit or community organization with experience in
14and/or commitment to the creation, installation, and/or administration of public art ; 1 member to
15be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who shall be an artist or
16representative from a nonprofit or community organization with experience in and/or
17commitment to the creation, installation, and/or administration of public art; 1 member to be
18appointed by the senate president and who shall be an artist or representative from a nonprofit or
19community organization with experience in and/or commitment to the creation, installation,
20and/or administration of public art; the secretary of housing and livable communities or a
21designee; the commissioner of capital asset management and maintenance or a designee; the
22executive director of the massachusetts cultural council or a designee; 1 member appointed by
23the president of the massachusetts college of art and design; 1 member appointed by the
24executive director of the massachusetts association of community development corporation; and
251 member appointed by the executive director of the metropolitan area planning council. Best
26efforts shall be exercised to ensure that each iteration of the PLACE Commission contains
27representation from the Commonwealth’s different geographic regions. The PLACE
28Commission will be co-chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities or a
29designee and the executive director of the Mass Cultural Council or a designee. The PLACE
30Commission shall meet once each quarter and otherwise at the discretion of the chairs.
31 Each appointive member shall be appointed for a term of three years, with the members
32initially appointed serving staggered terms. Persons appointed to fill vacancies shall serve for the
33unexpired term. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment, except that no appointive 3 of 5
34member shall serve for more than two consecutive terms. Members shall serve without
35compensation.
36 (a) There shall be established a fund to be known as the program for local art and
37community engagement fund ("the PLACE Fund"). The PLACE Fund, in addition to
38contributions from private sources, shall receive half-of-one-percent of the public funds allocated
39for the construction or renovation of any building or property owned by the Commonwealth, not
40to exceed $300,000 per construction or renovation project. This cap shall be adjusted on July 1st
41of each year by the growth rate of the inflation index over the preceding 12 months. The
42executive office of housing and livable communities shall serve as the PLACE Fund’s treasurer
43and custodian.
44 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the PLACE Commission
45shall enter into a contract with the Massachusetts cultural council or another qualified
46organization for the administrative operation of the PLACE Commission, which includes serving
47as the secretary during PLACE Commission meetings, and perform such other tasks as
48determined by the PLACE Commission. The Massachusetts cultural council shall appoint, with
49the PLACE Commission’s approval, such additional employees as may be required in the
50performance of the PLACE Commission’s duties. All salaries of appointed Massachusetts
51cultural council appointed employees shall be drawn from the PLACE Fund. The Commission
52may enter into a contract with another qualified organization to manage some or all of
53Commission administration only if the Massachusetts Cultural Council fails to adequately
54perform its duties under a duly executed contract, ceases to exist, or for just cause. If the
55Commission enters into a contract with another qualified organization, the Commission shall
56submit, in writing, the reasons for the termination of its contract with the Massachusetts cultural 4 of 5
57council to the chairs of the joint committee on economic development and emerging
58technologies and the chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development. A
59contract executed pursuant to this section shall address, but shall not be limited to: proposed
60rules and guidelines for the fund, providing technical assistance to potential applicants,
61reviewing and evaluating applications and providing findings and recommendations to the
62Commission as to which grant applications should be approved and awarded and which should
63be denied. The Commission shall establish rules relative to the Fund, with the advice of the
64committee. Copies of the rules, and any modifications or amendments thereto, shall be delivered
65to the clerk of the house of representatives, the clerk of the senate, the chairs of the house and
66senate committees on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee on economic
67development and emerging technologies and the chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts,
68and cultural development.
69 (c) The PLACE Commission, assisted by Massachusetts cultural council and its
70designated staff, shall administer the PLACE Fund with the purpose of providing financial
71support for the selection, design, creation, acquisition, installation, maintenance, conservation,
72and/or promotion of public art in the Commonwealth. Such administration shall include: (i)
73establishing and executing processes for the application, approval, acquisition, and installation of
74public art projects seeking funds; (ii) working with state agencies to assure compliance with this
75section; (iii) working with public and private stakeholders to identify artists, projects, and
76installation sites; (iv) ensuring the relevance and acceptance of public art by convening a local
77advisory group for each new public art project that includes relevant local site users and
78community stakeholders; (v) developing access to and education of public art; and (vi)
79cataloguing and maintaining public art. 5 of 5
80 (d) In furtherance of the PLACE Commission’s purpose of growing the creative and
81general economy throughout Massachusetts, (i) all public art acquired using the PLACE Fund
82shall be owned by the Commonwealth; (ii) best efforts shall be exercised to ensure PLACE
83Commission projects are distributed across the Commonwealth’s different geographic regions;
84and (iii) best efforts shall be exercised by the the PLACE Commission to support artists from
85Massachusetts.
86 (e) Annually, on September 1 of each year, the PLACE Commission shall provide a
87report describing the implementation of the PLACE Fund and awarded funds to the secretary of
88administration and finance, the house committee on ways and means, the senate committee on
89ways and means, the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development, the clerk's office
90for the house of representatives, and the clerk's office for the senate.
91 (f) The PLACE Commission shall be established no later than December 1, 2026.