URGENT-contact your State Senator & Representative to Co-Sponsor the Following Bills

Greetings!

Please contact your State Senator and Representative to Co-Sponsor the below bills (both the House versions (HD) and the Senate versions (SD)).  They must do so by Tomorrow- February 3rd.

How to find who your State Senator and Representative are: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx

Arts & Culture Bills MALC is involved with:

*HD176 An Act relative to the Creative economy  filed By Representative Chris Walsh

The independent contract law negatively impacts freelancers in Massachusetts, particularly those who create intellectual property.  This legislation carves out an exception in the independent contractor law for those who are engaged in a profession with intellectual property.

Senator Michael Moore will be filing this legislation as well, and the docket number is: SD113 An Act relative to the Creative economy.  

*HD965 An Act establishing a disaster and emergency aid fund for Massachusetts artists  filed By Representative Chris Walsh

This legislation would allow for the State Treasurer’s Office to establish a specific state fund for Disaster/Emergency Aid for Massachusetts Artists working in all disciplines in the event of a personal emergency (health care emergency, fire, etc.) or if the community experiences a wide scale emergency (i.e. natural or manmade disaster etc.)

Senator Dorcena Forry will be filing this legislation as well, and the docket number is: SD1805 An Act Establishing a Disaster and Emergency Aid Fund for Massachusetts Artists. 

*HD459 An Act relative to Resale Royalties for Artists  filed By Representative Chris Walsh

This legislation would entitle artists to a royalty payment upon the resale of their works of art under certain circumstances.

*HD280 An Act Relative to Artistic Contributions (New Legislation)  filed By Representative Chris Walsh

The MALC would like to amend the Massachusetts Tax Code to provide that a deduction equal to fair market value be allowed for charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions created by the donor to a collecting institution.

 *HD967 An Act Relative to Procurement Services for Artists (New Legislation) filed By Representative Chris Walsh

Massachusetts’ Procurement Act, Chapter 30B, has precise language on the process for procurement of supplies, services or real property by a governmental body. This is clearly needed for most of the purchases made by state and municipal agencies. The procurement of public art and artistic services, as well as the purchase or repair of artwork by municipal agencies should also be exceptions to the current procurement language. The current competitive bidding process does not take into account subjective value, which is intrinsic to art and art making.

 Senator Welch is filing the same legislation (although it has a slightly different title) and the docket number for that is: SD150 An Act Furthering Growth in the Creative Economy.