Bill > H4311

This bill establishes the position of poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor will appoint the poet laureate biennially from a list of nominees submitted by a poet laureate nominating committee. The poet laureate will seek to raise the consciousness of all Commonwealth residents, especially school children, to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The poet laureate nominating committee, consisting of the speaker of the house, the senate president, two gubernatorial appointees, and the executive director of the Massachusetts Center for the Book, will advertise and receive nominations, and then select three nominees to submit to the governor. The poet laureate may receive remuneration through the Massachusetts Center for the Book, which can establish a stipend and provide for the payment of the poet laureate's expenses.