HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3084 FILED ON: 2/18/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Sarah K. Peake
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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 relative to the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Sarah K. Peake 4th Barnstable 2/8/2021
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 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3084 FILED ON: 2/18/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.
[Pin Slip]
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2945 OF 2019-2020.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
_______________
An Act relative to the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 official edition, is
2 hereby amended by inserting after Section 38, the following section:-
3
4 Section 38A. (a) Biennially, on or before March 31, the governor may appoint a poet
5 laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts from a list of nominees submitted by the poet
6 laureate nominating committee pursuant to subsection (b). The poet laureate shall seek to raise
7 the consciousness of all commonwealth residents, especially school children, to a greater
8 appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The poet laureate shall be appointed to serve
9 for a term of 2 years or until a successor is appointed and qualified as provided in this section. In
10 the event of a vacancy in the office of poet laureate, the vacancy shall be filled in the same
11 manner as the original appointment.
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12 (b) There shall be a poet laureate nominating committee consisting of the following 5
13 members: the speaker of the house of representatives, or a designee; the senate president, or a
14 designee; and 3 members appointed by the governor, 2 of whom shall be members of the board
15 of directors of the Massachusetts cultural council. Members of the poet laureate nominating
16 committee shall serve without compensation.
17 (c) The poet laureate nominating committee shall advertise and receive nominations for
18 the selection of the poet laureate for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Nominees shall be
19 residents of the commonwealth and shall provide biographical and professional information, as
20 well as supporting representative material, explaining why, based on their poetic
21 accomplishments, they deserve recognition as the poet laureate for commonwealth of
22 Massachusetts. The poet laureate nominating committee shall review all nominations and select
23 3 nominees to submit to the governor biennially on or before February 1.
24 (d) The poet laureate shall be an honorary position and the person appointed shall receive
25 no remuneration. The person appointed to the position of poet laureate shall not be considered a
26 state official or a state employee for such person's service in the position of poet laureate.
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