Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3592 Compare Versions

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

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2277 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3592
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mary S. Keefe and Steven Ultrino
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 establishing a program for local art and community engagement.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester1/15/2025Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/15/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2277 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3592
18	18	By Representatives Keefe of Worcester and Ultrino of Malden, a petition (accompanied by bill,
19	19	House, No. 3592) of Mary S. Keefe and Steven Ultrino relative to establishing a program for
20	20	local art and community engagement commission in support of local art and community
21	21	engagement. Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act establishing a program for local art and community engagement.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 7C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
31	31	2is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-
32	32	3 Section 73. Whereas public buildings and infrastructure are the physical manifestation of
33	33	4the commonwealth’s identity and connection with its citizens, and whereas the commonwealths
34	34	5rich diversity of cultural communities is one of its greatest assets, and whereas a statewide public
35	35	6art program would ensure that our citizenry’s diverse cultural heritage enhances the built
36	36	7environment across the state and result in increased civic participation and economic prosperity
37	37	8through local investment and increased tourism, therefore the commonwealth will enact An Act
38	38	9establishing a program for local art and community engagement.
39	39	10 There shall be in the executive office of housing and livable communities a commission
40	40	11to be known as the program for local art and community engagement commission (“the PLACE 2 of 5
41	41	12Commission”), which shall consist of 1 member to be appointed by the governor and who shall
42	42	13be an artist or representative from a nonprofit or community organization with experience in
43	43	14and/or commitment to the creation, installation, and/or administration of public art ; 1 member to
44	44	15be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who shall be an artist or
45	45	16representative from a nonprofit or community organization with experience in and/or
46	46	17commitment to the creation, installation, and/or administration of public art; 1 member to be
47	47	18appointed by the senate president and who shall be an artist or representative from a nonprofit or
48	48	19community organization with experience in and/or commitment to the creation, installation,
49	49	20and/or administration of public art; the secretary of housing and livable communities or a
50	50	21designee; the commissioner of capital asset management and maintenance or a designee; the
51	51	22executive director of the massachusetts cultural council or a designee; 1 member appointed by
52	52	23the president of the massachusetts college of art and design; 1 member appointed by the
53	53	24executive director of the massachusetts association of community development corporation; and
54	54	251 member appointed by the executive director of the metropolitan area planning council. Best
55	55	26efforts shall be exercised to ensure that each iteration of the PLACE Commission contains
56	56	27representation from the Commonwealth’s different geographic regions. The PLACE
57	57	28Commission will be co-chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities or a
58	58	29designee and the executive director of the Mass Cultural Council or a designee. The PLACE
59	59	30Commission shall meet once each quarter and otherwise at the discretion of the chairs.
60	60	31 Each appointive member shall be appointed for a term of three years, with the members
61	61	32initially appointed serving staggered terms. Persons appointed to fill vacancies shall serve for the
62	62	33unexpired term. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment, except that no appointive 3 of 5
63	63	34member shall serve for more than two consecutive terms. Members shall serve without
64	64	35compensation.
65	65	36 (a) There shall be established a fund to be known as the program for local art and
66	66	37community engagement fund ("the PLACE Fund"). The PLACE Fund, in addition to
67	67	38contributions from private sources, shall receive half-of-one-percent of the public funds allocated
68	68	39for the construction or renovation of any building or property owned by the Commonwealth, not
69	69	40to exceed $300,000 per construction or renovation project. This cap shall be adjusted on July 1st
70	70	41of each year by the growth rate of the inflation index over the preceding 12 months. The
71	71	42executive office of housing and livable communities shall serve as the PLACE Fund’s treasurer
72	72	43and custodian.
73	73	44 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the PLACE Commission
74	74	45shall enter into a contract with the Massachusetts cultural council or another qualified
75	75	46organization for the administrative operation of the PLACE Commission, which includes serving
76	76	47as the secretary during PLACE Commission meetings, and perform such other tasks as
77	77	48determined by the PLACE Commission. The Massachusetts cultural council shall appoint, with
78	78	49the PLACE Commission’s approval, such additional employees as may be required in the
79	79	50performance of the PLACE Commission’s duties. All salaries of appointed Massachusetts
80	80	51cultural council appointed employees shall be drawn from the PLACE Fund. The Commission
81	81	52may enter into a contract with another qualified organization to manage some or all of
82	82	53Commission administration only if the Massachusetts Cultural Council fails to adequately
83	83	54perform its duties under a duly executed contract, ceases to exist, or for just cause. If the
84	84	55Commission enters into a contract with another qualified organization, the Commission shall
85	85	56submit, in writing, the reasons for the termination of its contract with the Massachusetts cultural 4 of 5
86	86	57council to the chairs of the joint committee on economic development and emerging
87	87	58technologies and the chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development. A
88	88	59contract executed pursuant to this section shall address, but shall not be limited to: proposed
89	89	60rules and guidelines for the fund, providing technical assistance to potential applicants,
90	90	61reviewing and evaluating applications and providing findings and recommendations to the
91	91	62Commission as to which grant applications should be approved and awarded and which should
92	92	63be denied. The Commission shall establish rules relative to the Fund, with the advice of the
93	93	64committee. Copies of the rules, and any modifications or amendments thereto, shall be delivered
94	94	65to the clerk of the house of representatives, the clerk of the senate, the chairs of the house and
95	95	66senate committees on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee on economic
96	96	67development and emerging technologies and the chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts,
97	97	68and cultural development.
98	98	69 (c) The PLACE Commission, assisted by Massachusetts cultural council and its
99	99	70designated staff, shall administer the PLACE Fund with the purpose of providing financial
100	100	71support for the selection, design, creation, acquisition, installation, maintenance, conservation,
101	101	72and/or promotion of public art in the Commonwealth. Such administration shall include: (i)
102	102	73establishing and executing processes for the application, approval, acquisition, and installation of
103	103	74public art projects seeking funds; (ii) working with state agencies to assure compliance with this
104	104	75section; (iii) working with public and private stakeholders to identify artists, projects, and
105	105	76installation sites; (iv) ensuring the relevance and acceptance of public art by convening a local
106	106	77advisory group for each new public art project that includes relevant local site users and
107	107	78community stakeholders; (v) developing access to and education of public art; and (vi)
108	108	79cataloguing and maintaining public art. 5 of 5
109	109	80 (d) In furtherance of the PLACE Commission’s purpose of growing the creative and
110	110	81general economy throughout Massachusetts, (i) all public art acquired using the PLACE Fund
111	111	82shall be owned by the Commonwealth; (ii) best efforts shall be exercised to ensure PLACE
112	112	83Commission projects are distributed across the Commonwealth’s different geographic regions;
113	113	84and (iii) best efforts shall be exercised by the the PLACE Commission to support artists from
114	114	85Massachusetts.
115	115	86 (e) Annually, on September 1 of each year, the PLACE Commission shall provide a
116	116	87report describing the implementation of the PLACE Fund and awarded funds to the secretary of
117	117	88administration and finance, the house committee on ways and means, the senate committee on
118	118	89ways and means, the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development, the clerk's office
119	119	90for the house of representatives, and the clerk's office for the senate.
120	120	91 (f) The PLACE Commission shall be established no later than December 1, 2026.