1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to creating a committee to appoint a poet laureate, a
 1-3     state musician, and state artists.
 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, STATE MUSICIAN, AND STATE ARTISTS
 1-8           Sec. 1.  DESIGNATING A POET LAUREATE, A STATE MUSICIAN, AND
 1-9     STATE ARTISTS.  (a)  The Texas poet laureate, state musician, and
1-10     state artist committee shall designate a poet laureate of Texas, a
1-11     Texas state musician, a Texas state artist for two-dimensional
1-12     media, and a Texas state artist for three-dimensional media.
1-13           (b)  The Texas poet laureate, state musician, and state
1-14     artist committee shall choose the poet laureate, the state
1-15     musician, and the state artists from a list of individuals
1-16     submitted by the Texas Commission on the Arts.
1-17           (c)  The individuals designated as the poet laureate, the
1-18     state musician, and the state artists do not receive any pay or
1-19     emolument.
1-20           (d)  The individuals designated as poet laureate, as state
1-21     musician, and as state artists keep the designation for one year
1-22     from the date of the designation ceremony.
1-23           Sec. 2.  TEXAS POET LAUREATE, STATE MUSICIAN, AND STATE
1-24     ARTIST COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED.  (a)  The Texas poet laureate, state
1-25     musician, and state artist committee consists of the following
 2-1     seven members:
 2-2                 (1)  one member appointed by the governor;
 2-3                 (2)  three members appointed by the lieutenant
 2-4     governor; and
 2-5                 (3)  three members appointed by the speaker of the
 2-6     house of representatives.
 2-7           (b)  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 over arts and cultural matters who serves on
2-10     the committee as an additional duty of the chairmanship.
2-11           (c)  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           (d)  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 the poet laureate, the
2-19     state musician, and the state artists.  The commission shall use
2-20     the commission's Texas Cultural & Arts Network, the media, public
2-21     meetings, newsletters, the Writer's League of Texas, and other
2-22     appropriate methods to distribute information about the nomination
2-23     process.
2-24           (b)  The Texas Commission on the Arts may receive submissions
2-25     from poets, musicians, and artists who have been nominated.
2-26           (c)  The Texas Commission on the Arts may assemble a group of
 3-1     artists, musicians, writers, scholars, and other appropriate
 3-2     experts in the fields of visual arts, music, and literature to:
 3-3                 (1)  review the submissions from the nominated poets,
 3-4     musicians, and artists; and
 3-5                 (2)  provide advice and recommendations to the
 3-6     commission on who should be considered for designation as poet
 3-7     laureate, as state musician, and as a state artist.
 3-8           (d)  The Texas Commission on the Arts shall submit to the
 3-9     Texas poet laureate, state musician, and state artist committee a
3-10     list of not more than 10 individuals who are worthy of being
3-11     designated as the poet laureate, a list of not more than 10
3-12     individuals who are worthy of being designated as the state
3-13     musician, a list of not more than 10 individuals who are worthy of
3-14     being designated as the state artist for two-dimensional media, and
3-15     a list of not more than 10 individuals who are worthy of being
3-16     designated as the state artist for three-dimensional media.
3-17           Sec. 4.  DESIGNATION CEREMONY.  The governor and members of
3-18     the Texas poet laureate, state musician, and state artist committee
3-19     shall honor the individuals designated as poet laureate, as state
3-20     musician, and as a state artist in a ceremony at the State Capitol.
3-21           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
3-22           (b)  As soon as possible after the effective date of this
3-23     Act, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the
3-24     house of representatives shall appoint the initial members of the
3-25     Texas poet laureate, state musician, and state artist committee.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1043 passed the Senate on
         March 29, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0, one
         present, not voting; and that the Senate concurred in House
         amendment on May 17, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1043 passed the House, with
         amendment, on May 10, 2001, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                      Date
         _______________________________
                    Governor