Bill > H1051

This bill establishes a special commission to investigate and support the preservation of Polish culture and history in the Pioneer Valley, a region in Massachusetts with a significant Polish heritage population, and acknowledges the impact of funding reductions on arts and humanities studies at public colleges and universities. The commission's purpose is to promote public support and funding for Polish cultural preservation activities in western Massachusetts, recognizing the contributions of people of Polish heritage to the region and the Commonwealth, and will assess available public and private resources for researching Polish language, history, culture, genealogy, and the immigrant experience, acting as a central point for legislative and private efforts to secure funding for archival and educational initiatives. The commission will consist of three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker (at least two of whom must be of Polish heritage), two members of the Senate appointed by the Senate President, three members appointed by the Governor in consultation with the Pioneer Valley legislative delegation (who must be officers in Polish heritage or genealogical organizations in Hampshire, Hampden, or Franklin counties), and one member recommended by the chair of the Slavic studies department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The commission may receive state funding and is permitted to use meeting room space at a state college or community college in the Pioneer Valley, and is required to submit a report, including a fiscal note, to legislative clerks and committee chairmen by July 1, 2016.