By Hunter H.B. No. 1974
77R3826 MCK-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to creating a committee to appoint a poet laureate and a
1-3 state artist.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Title 106, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
1-6 Article 6139k to read as follows:
1-7 Art. 6139k. POET LAUREATE AND STATE ARTIST
1-8 Sec. 1. DESIGNATING A POET LAUREATE AND STATE ARTIST. (a)
1-9 The Texas poet laureate and state artist committee shall designate
1-10 a poet laureate of Texas and a Texas state artist.
1-11 (b) The committee shall choose the poet laureate and the
1-12 state artist from a list of individuals submitted by the Texas
1-13 Commission on the Arts.
1-14 (c) The individuals designated as the poet laureate and the
1-15 state artist do not receive any pay or emolument.
1-16 (d) The individuals designated as poet laureate and as state
1-17 artist keep the designation for one year from the date of the
1-18 designation ceremony.
1-19 Sec. 2. TEXAS POET LAUREATE AND STATE ARTIST COMMITTEE
1-20 ESTABLISHED. (a) The Texas poet laureate and state artist
1-21 committee consists of the following seven members:
1-22 (1) one member appointed by the governor;
1-23 (2) three members appointed by the lieutenant
1-24 governor; and
2-1 (3) three members appointed by the speaker of the
2-2 house of representatives.
2-3 (b) One member appointed by the lieutenant governor must be
2-4 the chair of the senate committee that has primary jurisdiction of
2-5 arts and cultural matters who serves on the committee as an
2-6 additional duty of the chairmanship.
2-7 (c) One member appointed by the speaker of the house of
2-8 representatives must be the chair of the house committee that has
2-9 primary jurisdiction of arts and cultural matters who serves on the
2-10 committee as an additional duty of the chairmanship.
2-11 (d) Members of the committee who are not members of the
2-12 legislature serve for a two-year term that expires October 1 of
2-13 each odd-numbered year.
2-14 (e) The members of the committee shall select a presiding
2-15 officer from the members of the committee.
2-16 Sec. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS.
2-17 (a) The Texas Commission on the Arts shall solicit nominations
2-18 from the arts and cultural community for both the poet laureate and
2-19 the state artist. The commission may use the commission's Texas
2-20 Cultural & Arts Network, the media, public meetings, newsletters,
2-21 and the Writer's League of Texas to distribute information about
2-22 the nomination process.
2-23 (b) The commission may receive submissions from poets and
2-24 artists who have been nominated.
2-25 (c) The commission may assemble a group of artists, writers,
2-26 scholars, and other appropriate experts in the field of visual arts
2-27 and literature to:
3-1 (1) review the submissions from the nominated poets
3-2 and artists; and
3-3 (2) provide advice and recommendations to the
3-4 commission on who should be considered for designation as poet
3-5 laureate and as state artist.
3-6 (d) The commission shall submit to the committee a list of
3-7 not more than 10 individuals who are worthy of being designated as
3-8 the poet laureate and a list of not more than 10 individuals who
3-9 are worthy of being designated as the state artist.
3-10 Sec. 4. DESIGNATION CEREMONY. The governor and members of
3-11 the committee shall honor the individuals designated as poet
3-12 laureate and as state artist in a ceremony at the State Capitol.
3-13 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
3-14 (b) As soon as possible after the effective date of this
3-15 Act, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the
3-16 house of representatives shall appoint the initial members of the
3-17 Texas poet laureate and state artist committee.