§177 Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry

Summary

Creates the job called Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress. The Librarian of Congress must pick the poet using the same method used on December 20, 1985. Appointments last one or two years and are based only on literary merit. The poet is paid from endowment funds the Library’s Trust Fund Board manages. Congress says this position is the same as the United States Poet Laureate. Federal agencies are encouraged to invite the Poet Laureate to take part in ceremonies and celebrations, using rules the Librarian approves so the poet can still do their work. The Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, with advice from the National Council on the Arts, must sponsor a yearly program where the Poet Laureate presents a major work or the work of other noted poets. The law authorizes $10,000 for fiscal year 1987 and for each succeeding fiscal year ending prior to October 1, 1990, to fund that program.