Bill > S642

Introduced Session

This bill would authorize the New Jersey Historical Commission ("commission") to establish a program to support New Jersey historic sites and organizations and collect donations for projects on their behalf. Specifically, the commission would establish a program to help historic sites and organizations by announcing and promoting an historic project on the commission's website. "Historic sites and organizations" include historic sites, historical societies, historical libraries, history museums, historical agencies of local or county government, and related not-for-profit agencies and organizations. This program would be a creative platform to enable historic sites and organizations to gain exposure, generate funding, and leverage donations for their historic projects, through the commission, while retaining independence and ownership of the project. No offer of financial returns or equity, or solicitation of loans, would be made in connection with any historic project. The program website would provide the means for any visitor to the website to donate to a specific historic site or organization, or specific historic project. A gift or grant donated for these purposes would only be accepted by the commission on behalf of an historic site or organization. Any donation to an historic site or organization would be used at the discretion of the historic site or organization accepting it and any donation to a specific historic project would be used by the historic site or organization for the designated historic project. The commission would be authorized to accept and administer gifts or grants to be used only in accordance with the purposes set forth in this bill, or they would be returned to the donor or refused. The Department of the Treasury would provide the means by which donations may be made to the commission. Under the bill, the commission may request to monitor or oversee the progress of an historic project, as appropriate, and may require an historic site or organization to report progress on occasion; however, the commission would not be responsible for ensuring the completion of a project, nor would it investigate an historic site or organizations' ability to complete a project. An historic site or organization would be required to notify the commission, in writing, upon completion of a project. Additionally, this bill would allow the commission to collaborate, consult, or partner with an organization, including an Internet-based organization (for example, a crowdsourcing or advocacy organization such as Kickstarter, Inc.), whose mission is to support creative projects by fundraising and engaging the public at-large. The commission may also partner with or contract for such an organization to specifically announce or promote New Jersey historic sites or organizations and accept gifts or grants towards a developing project on behalf of an historic site or organization in furtherance of the goals of this bill.

Committee Categories

Latham Tiver (R)*,  Patrick Diegnan (D), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document