Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 366
       
       
       
       By Senator Hukill
       
       
       
       
       8-00387A-13                                            2013366__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the State Poet Laureate; amending
    3         s. 265.285, F.S.; assigning duties to the Florida
    4         Council on Arts and Culture relating to the promotion
    5         of poetry and recommendations for the appointment of
    6         the State Poet Laureate; creating s. 265.2863, F.S.;
    7         creating the honorary position of State Poet Laureate
    8         within the Department of State; establishing
    9         procedures for the acceptance of nominations, the
   10         qualifications and recommendation of nominees, and the
   11         appointment of the State Poet Laureate; providing
   12         terms and the process for filling vacancies;
   13         specifying that any former poet laureate becomes a
   14         State Poet Laureate Emeritus or State Poet Laureate
   15         Emerita; providing that the State Poet Laureate, the
   16         State Poet Laureate Emeritus and the State Poet
   17         Laureate Emerita shall serve without compensation;
   18         authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing
   19         an effective date.
   20  
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. Present paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of
   24  section 265.285, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
   25  (h), and a new paragraph (g) is added to that subsection, to
   26  read:
   27         265.285 Florida Council on Arts and Culture; membership,
   28  duties.—
   29         (2) The council shall:
   30         (g) Promote the reading, writing, and appreciation of
   31  poetry throughout the state and accept nominations and recommend
   32  nominees for appointment as the State Poet Laureate under s.
   33  265.2863.
   34         Section 2. Section 265.2863, Florida Statutes, is created
   35  to read:
   36         265.2863State Poet Laureate.—
   37         (1) The honorary position of State Poet Laureate is created
   38  within the Department of State.
   39         (2)(a) The Florida Council on Arts and Culture, in
   40  accordance with procedures adopted by the department, shall
   41  accept nominations for appointment as the State Poet Laureate.
   42  The council shall solicit nominations from a broad array of
   43  literary sources and members of the public.
   44         (b) The council shall recommend to the Secretary of State
   45  at least two nominees for appointment as the State Poet
   46  Laureate, each of whom must be:
   47         1. A permanent resident of the state;
   48         2. A public literary poet who has significant standing
   49  inside and outside of the state; and
   50         3. Willing and physically able to perform the duties of the
   51  State Poet Laureate as prescribed by the department, which may
   52  include, but are not limited to, engaging in outreach and
   53  mentoring for the benefit of schools and communities throughout
   54  the state and performing readings of his or her own poetry, as
   55  requested.
   56         (c) The Secretary of State shall, from among the nominees
   57  recommended by the council, submit a nominee to the Governor.
   58  The Governor shall appoint the State Poet Laureate.
   59         (3) The State Poet Laureate shall serve a term of 4 years.
   60  A vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired
   61  term in the same manner as the original appointment.
   62         (4) Each of the state’s poets laureate appointed before the
   63  effective date of this section and each State Poet Laureate
   64  appointed under this section, upon the appointment of his or her
   65  successor, shall be designated a State Poet Laureate Emeritus or
   66  State Poet Laureate Emerita in recognition of his or her service
   67  to the state.
   68         (5) The State Poet Laureate and each State Poet Laureate
   69  Emeritus or State Poet Laureate Emerita shall serve without
   70  compensation.
   71         (6) The department may adopt rules to administer this
   72  section.
   73         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.