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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to the Florida Poet Laureate; amending s.

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265.285, F.S.; specifying that duties of the Florida Arts

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Council include the promotion of poetry literature by

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recommending nominations for the Florida Poet Laureate;

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creating s. 265.2863, F.S.; creating the honorary position

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of Florida Poet Laureate; providing for appointment;

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providing that the Florida Poet Laureate does not receive

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compensation; providing for the nomination process;

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providing responsibilities of the Florida Arts Council;

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providing criteria for the Florida Poet Laureate position;

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providing term of service; providing for the filling of a

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vacancy; requiring the Division of Cultural Affairs of the

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Department of State to adopt rules; requiring the

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Secretary of State to annually request an appropriation to

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carry out the purposes of the section if certain other

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sources of funding are not available; providing for

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designation of Florida Poet Laureate Emeritus; providing

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an effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1.  Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (2) of

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section 265.285, Florida Statutes, to read:

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     265.285  Florida Arts Council; membership, duties.--

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     (2)  The duties of the council shall be to:

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     (j) Promote reading, writing, and appreciation of poetry

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throughout the state by recommending nominations for the Florida

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Poet Laureate to the Secretary of State for selection by the

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Governor.

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     Section 2.  Section 265.2863, Florida Statutes, is created

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to read:

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     265.2863 Florida Poet Laureate.--

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     (1)(a) The honorary position of Florida Poet Laureate is

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hereby created.

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     (b)1. The Florida Poet Laureate shall be appointed by the

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Governor from a list of no more than three nominees provided by

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the Secretary of State and recommended by the Florida Arts

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Council pursuant to s. 265.285 and this section.

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     2. The Florida Poet Laureate shall not receive

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compensation.

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     (c) The Florida Arts Council shall solicit nominations from

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a broad array of literary sources and individuals, including, but

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not limited to:

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     1. University and college literature departments.

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2. Literary organizations, societies, and centers.

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     3. Poetry book publishers and poetry editors.

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     4. Other state poets laureate.

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     (2) Each nominee for Florida Poet Laureate submitted to the

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Governor by the Secretary of State and recommended by the Florida

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Arts Council must be a permanent Florida resident and a published

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literary poet of significant standing in Florida and elsewhere,

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must be willing and physically able to engage in outreach and

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mentoring for the benefit of schools and communities throughout

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the state, and must perform such other duties as required. The

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Florida Poet Laureate may give readings of his or her own poetry

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as requested.

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     (3)(a) The term of service of the Florida Poet Laureate

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shall be 4 years, beginning with the third year of a

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gubernatorial term of office and ending at the conclusion of the

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second year of the following gubernatorial term of office. The

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Florida Poet Laureate must serve until a new Florida Poet

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Laureate is appointed.

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     (b) Any vacancy in the appointment of the Florida Poet

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Laureate shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term

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in the same manner as the original appointment.

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     (4) The Division of Cultural Affairs of the Department of

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State shall adopt rules necessary to carry out the purposes of

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this section, including, but not limited to, procedures for

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accepting nominations, making recommendations for appointments of

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the Florida Poet Laureate, and providing travel expenses for such

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appointment.

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     (5) The Secretary of State shall annually request an

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appropriation sufficient to carry out the purposes of this

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section, if such resources are not available through the citizen

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support organization created in s. 265.703 or through other

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public or private funding sources.

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     Section 3. The Poet Laureate for the State of Florida

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serving on the effective date of this act shall, upon the

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appointment of the Florida Poet Laureate pursuant to s. 265.2863,

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Florida Statutes, as created by this act, be designated the

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Florida Poet Laureate Emeritus in recognition of his service to

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the state.

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     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.