An Act To Reimburse the State Poet Laureate and To Provide Access to the State Poet Laureate's Services
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0084
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: COWGER, TREAT, ADAMS, ANNIS, CUMMINGS, O'BRIEN, PINGREE
Amends: 27 MRSA §424

Legislative Document 
No. 84 
H.P.93 
House of Representatives, January 21, 2003 
An Act To Reimburse the State Poet Laureate and To Provide 
Access to the State Poet Laureate's Services 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative COWGER of Hallowell. 
Cosponsored by Senator TREAT of Kennebec and 
IJ/~/h.~~ 
Mll...LICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, ANNIS of Dover-Foxcroft, CUMMINGS of Portland, 
McKEE of Wayne, O'BRIEN of Augusta, PINGREE of North Haven. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec.t. 27 MRSA §424 is enacted to read: 
§424. 
State Poet Laureate Reimbursement Fund 
1. 
Fund established. 
The State Poet Laureate Reimbursement 
Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established 
within the Maine Arts Commission. 
The fund consists of money 
appropriated by the Legislature from the General Fund. 
The fund 
must be held separate from all other money, funds and accounts. 
Any unexpended funds remaining at the end of each fiscal year 
must be returned to the unappropriated surplus of the General 
Fund. 
2. 
Fund pU:r.:p9se. 
The purpose of the fund is to provide 
funds to nonprofit public agencies in Maine to reimburse the 
State Poet Laureate for the cost of travel and related expenses 
associated with bringing the services of the State Poet Laureate 
to the community. 
The Maine Arts Commission shall administer the 
fund and develop guidelines and procedures to make the services 
of the State Poet Laureate available to any nonprofit public 
agency in the State. 
• 
Application process. 
The Maine Arts Commission shall 
establish 
an application process 
for 
fund 
requests 
for 
the 
purposes set forth in this section. 
4. 
Promotion. 
The Maine Arts Commission shall promote the 
availability 
of 
the 
fund 
through 
its 
various 
avenues 
of 
communication, 
including its publicly accessible site on the 
Internet. 
Sec. 2. Review. 
The Maine Arts Commission shall conduct a 
review of the process associated with a nonprofit public agency's 
applying for and obtaining funds from the State Poet Laureate 
Reimbursement Fund, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 27, section 424, after the process has been in place for 3 
years and make any necessary adjustments by September 30, 2006. 
The commission may submit to the Legislature any legislation 
necessary to implement recommendations resulting from the review. 
Sec. 
3. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
The 
following 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
MAIRE ARTS C<»IMISSICti 
State Poet Laureate Reimbursement Fund 
Page l-LRl048(1) 
Initiative: 
Provides funds for nonprofit public 
Maine to reimburse the State Poet Laureate for 
travel 
and 
related 
expenses 
associated 
with 
services of the poet laureate to the community. 
General Fund 
All Other 
SUMMARY 
2003-04 
$5,000 
agencies in 
the cost of 
bringing 
the 
2004-05 
$5,000 
This bill establishes the State Poet Laureate Reimbursement 
Fund within the Maine Arts Commission and requires the commission 
to administer the fund, which provides funds to nonprofit public 
agencies in Maine to reimburse the State Poet Laureate for the 
cost of travel and related expenses associated with bringing the 
services of the State Poet Laureate to the community. 
This bill 
also requires the commission to conduct a review of the process 
of applying for and obtaining funds once the process has been in 
place for 
years and implement any necessary adjustments by 
September 
30, 
2006. 
The bill also 
requires 
the 
Maine 
Arts 
Commission to promote the State Poet Laureate Reimbursement Fund 
through its various 
avenues 
of 
communication, 
including its 
publicly accessible site on the Internet.