| Passed by the House February 5, 2007 Yeas 90 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 5, 2007 Yeas 45 ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1279 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2007 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/30/07.
AN ACT Relating to the state poet laureate; adding new sections to chapter 43.46 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature wishes to recognize: (1)
The value of poetry and the contribution Washington poets make to the
culture of our state; (2) that poetry is a literary form respected and
growing throughout all segments of Washington's population; (3) that
awareness and appreciation of poetry encourages increased literacy and
advanced communication skills; and (4) that Washington state has
produced many excellent and nationally recognized poets.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 43.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The Washington state arts commission shall establish and
administer the poet laureate program. The poet laureate shall engage
in activities to promote and encourage poetry within the state,
including but not limited to readings, workshops, lectures, or
presentations for Washington educational institutions and communities
in geographically diverse areas over a two-year term.
(2) Selection of a poet laureate shall be made by a committee
appointed and coordinated by the commission. The committee may include
representatives of the Washington state library, the education
community, the Washington commission for the humanities, publishing,
and the community of Washington poets.
(3) The commission and the committee shall establish criteria to be
used for the selection of a poet laureate. In addition to other
criteria established, the poet laureate must be a published poet, a
resident of Washington state, active in the poetry community, and
willing and able to promote poetry in the state of Washington
throughout the two-year term.
(4) The recommendation of the poet laureate selection committee
shall be forwarded to the commission, which shall appoint the poet
laureate with the approval of the governor.
(5) The poet laureate shall receive compensation at a level
determined by the commission. Travel expenses shall be provided in
accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(6) The poet laureate may not serve more than two consecutive
two-year terms.
(7) The commission shall fund the poet laureate program through
gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources that are
made from time to time, in trust or otherwise.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 43.46 RCW
to read as follows:
The poet laureate account is created in the custody of the state
treasurer. All receipts from gifts, grants, or endowments from public
or private sources must be deposited into the account. Expenditures
from the account may only be used for the poet laureate program. Only
the executive director of the commission or the executive director's
designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is
subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an
appropriation is not required for expenditures.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 The sum of thirty thousand dollars, or as
much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund--state and is provided
solely for deposit in the poet laureate account.