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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 01/20/26 - Introduced

 SB-901 California Poet Laureate.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 01/20/2026 09:00 PM

SB901:v99#DOCUMENTBill Start

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Senate Bill

No. 901

Introduced by Senator Cervantes

January 20, 2026

 An act to amend Section 8760 of the Government Code, relating to the California Poet Laureate.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 901, as introduced, Cervantes.
 California Poet Laureate.

Existing law establishes the Arts Council and sets forth the duties of the council in promoting the arts in the state. Existing law establishes the position of California Poet Laureate, who is appointed for a specified term by the Governor, confirmed by the Senate from a list of nominees garnered by the council through a specified process, and who performs prescribed duties.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to provisions concerning the nomination and appointment of the California Poet Laureate.

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 NO 
 Local Program:
 NO 

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 8760 of the Government Code is amended to read:

8760.

 (a) The position of California Poet Laureate is hereby established.

(b) The California Poet Laureate shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate from a list of three nominees provided by the Arts Council garnered through the following process:

(1) The council shall establish a panel of three literary experts, which experts that may include any of the following:

(A) Literature professors and
 teachers, including professional poets teaching in such programs as programs such as the California Poets in the Schools and other arts in schools programs.

(B) Public and private arts organizations that have a significant literary component.

(C) Professional poets.

(D) Boards and directors of literary organizations.

(E) Literary critics.

(F) Others deemed by the director to have expertise in contemporary American poetry.

(2) (A) The panel shall solicit nominations from a broad array of literary sources and individuals, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(i) University and college literature departments.

(ii) Literary organizations, societies, and centers.

(iii) Poetry book publishers and poetry editors.

(iv) Directors of poetry reading series.

(v) Independent book sellers specializing in poetry.

(B) The panel shall make every effort to ensure that information regarding the solicitation of nominations is broadly distributed.

(3) The council may
 establish other rules and regulations regarding the nomination process and expend funds for those purposes.

(c) Each nominee for California Poet Laureate submitted by the Arts Council to the Governor shall have resided in California for at least 10 years, have a significant body of published work, and be widely considered to be a poet of stature.

(d) A poet laureate appointed pursuant to this section shall serve for a term of two years, years and may not serve more than two terms.