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An Act establishing the Massachusetts Creative Economy Council |
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish forthwith the Massachusetts creative economy council, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the
same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 23A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after section 61 the following section:-
Section 62.
There shall be a Massachusetts creative economy council within the executive office of housing and economic development. The mission of the commonwealth creative economy council shall be to develop a statewide strategy for the enhancement, encouragement, and growth of the creative economy in the commonwealth, and to promote through public and private means responsive public policies and innovative private sector practices.
The council shall consist of 23 members, 1 of whom shall be the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development, or his designee, who shall also serve as chair of the council; 1 of whom shall be the executive director of the Massachusetts office of travel and tourism, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the executive director of the Massachusetts cultural council, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the director of the Massachusetts office of business development, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the executive director of the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the director of the John Adams Innovation Institute, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the president of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the chairman of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the president of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, or his designee; 3 members who shall each be a director of a regional tourism council; 1 member who shall be from the Salem Partnership; 1 member who shall be from the Salem State College Assistance Corporation; 1 member who shall be from the Berkshire Creative Economy Initiative; 1 member who shall be the president of the Massachusetts College of Art, or her designee; 1 member who shall be appointed by the governor, who shall be an owner of a sole proprietorship in the creative economy; 3 members of the senate, 2 of whom shall be appointed by the senate president and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the senate minority leader; and 3 members of the house of representatives, 2 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the house minority leader.
Members of the council shall serve for a term of 2 years, and may be reappointed. The council may adopt rules for the appointment of members, and may increase or decrease the number of members.
The council shall meet at least 4 times annually. The council shall exist for 4 years from the effective date of this section, provided further that the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development may petition the general court for an extension of said term.
The duties of the council shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: research and evaluate studies conducted within the commonwealth and in other states, to locate and identify best practices that easily transfer to the commonwealth; review the recommendations of the “Innovation Agenda: Growing the Creative Economy in Massachusetts” statewide conference of May 3, 2006, and the Berkshire Creative Economy Report, and other statewide and regional research-based recommendations, in order to develop a statewide strategy for enhancement of the creative economy; provide recommendations on restructuring economic programs within state government to enhance creative economy efforts; provide strategies and proposed legislation where necessary to provide linkage between programs to enhance the creative economy; establish metrics to measure the effect of the creative economy on other sectors of the economy by developing and conducting extensive statewide research and creating a database from the results; foster education and workforce development in the creative economy sector by stimulating efforts to develop career pathways for creative industries; research the potential for an online resource directory, including but not limited to the development and promotion of a web based resource highlighting the creative economy and its member companies and organizations; research the potential for a comprehensive communications program targeting member communities, organizations, stakeholders and interested parties, including the promotion of networking across the creative economy sector; and research methods to brand Massachusetts as creative economy leader.
The council may define the creative economy to include, but not be limited to, the many interlocking industry sectors that center on providing creative services such as advertising or architecture or creating and promoting intellectual property products such as arts, film, computer games, multimedia, or design.
The council shall submit, not later than December 1, 2008, a written report of its activities to the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies, the chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts, and cultural development, and the chairs of the joint committee on community development and small business. The report shall include recommendations to the general court regarding proposed changes to this section, or any other section or chapter of the General Laws, or any regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, necessary to promote the creative economy in the commonwealth.
Said council shall report to the general court the results of its investigation and study, and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the clerk of the house of representatives who shall forward the same to the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies, the chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts, and cultural development, and the chairs of the joint committee on community development and small business, on or before the first Wednesday in December, 2008.