Bill Text: NJ A1146 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Division of Travel and Tourism establish New Jersey Historical Markers Trail.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-08 - Reported from Assembly Comm. as a Substitute, 2nd Reading [A1146 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A1146-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Wirths, Space, Conaway and McKeon
SYNOPSIS
Requires Division of Travel and Tourism establish New Jersey Historical Markers Trail.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a New Jersey Historical Markers Trail and supplementing P.L.1977, c.225 (C.34:1A-45 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Director" means the Director of the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State.
"Division" means the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State.
"Historic marker" means a marker, plaque, or tablet commemorating a historic person, place, or event or identifying a historic place, structure, or object.
"New Jersey Historical Markers Trail" means a series of historic sites and memorials in New Jersey identified by the division.
"New Jersey historic sites and memorials" means a location where items of political, military, artistic, cultural or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value to the State.
2. a. In addition to the powers and duties of the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State provided in section 9 of P.L.1977, c.225 (C.34:1A-53), the Director of the division shall identify a series of historic sites and memorials to be part of the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail. The division may seek the assistance and cooperation of the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historical Commission, local government officials and entities, owners or operators of historic sites and memorials in the State, or entities that identify and compile data on historical sites and memorials. The purpose of the Statewide trail is to increase New Jersey residents' sense of pride of place, to enhance cultural tourism throughout the State, to educate the public about New Jersey's rich and diverse history, and to encourage the public to preserve historic resources. The New Jersey Historical Markers Trail shall be inclusive of all eras and diverse cultural aspects of the New Jersey's history, as well as be geographically representative of the entire State.
b. The Division of Travel and Tourism shall:
(1) Determine and select such points of historic interest throughout this State as the division thinks should be marked with a suitable marker;
(2) Design, purchase, and erect markers which the division may decide to be appropriate at such points, indicating thereon the persons, places, and events commemorated and having such other suitable inscription as the division may deem necessary; and
(3) Keep in good repair all markers a part of the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail erected by the division.
c. The division may employ such expert assistance to aid in its historical researches to effectively carry out the purposes of this section from the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historical Commission, local government officials and entities, owners or operators of historic sites and memorials in the State, or entities that identify and compile data on historical sites and memorials.
d. All historical markers which are erected by the division shall be the property of the State. No person, entity, or business shall possess, transport, alter, or remove said marker without written authority of an appropriate official of the division. Further, no person, entity, or business shall receive, retain, alter, or dispose of State historical markers absent written authorization of an appropriate official of the division. Unauthorized recipients of these markers may be prosecuted criminally for receiving stolen property.
e. The division may establish rules or regulations regarding all aspects of State historical markers. Other person, entities, or businesses shall not duplicate State historical markers, or create obtain, or install similar markers with an intent to mislead or deceive the public.
3. a. The division shall develop and maintain an Internet website providing information on the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail and historic sites and memorials in the State. The information on the website shall be searchable and available as a list and as an interactive map, and shall:
(1) specify the location of each historic site or memorial included on the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail and provide driving directions from the north, south, east, and west, as well as directions by public transit where applicable;
(2) provide information about whether the historical site or memorial offers guided tours, the frequency of tours, and the hours during which tours are conducted;
(3) display photographs of each historic site or memorial;
(4) inform visitors of whether the historic site or memorial is part of the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail developed pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);
(5) provide contact information for the owner or operator of each historic site and memorial, including the telephone number and Internet web address of the historic site or memorial; and
(6) connect visitors to county or municipal historic marker programs and their list of historic markers.
b. The director shall ensure that the Internet website is updated whenever a historic site or memorial is added to the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail or whenever a governmental entity establishes a new historic site or memorial. The division may accept information or changes to the web site from the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historical Commission, local government officials and entities, owners or operators of historic sites and memorials in the State, or entities that identify and compile data on historic sites and memorials.
c. The division shall collect information for an inventory on existing county or municipal historic marker programs in the State. The list of existing historic markers shall be kept as a separate list from the database of official New Jersey historical markers.
d. The division shall accept submissions from the public recommending, for inclusion on the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail, historic sites and memorials not owned, operated, or maintained by a governmental entity through an electronic submission form made available by the division on its Internet website. The division may include historic sites and memorials not owned, operated, or maintained by a governmental entity on the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail as it deems appropriate.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State to identify a series of historic sites and memorials to be part of the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail. The bill requires the Statewide trail to be inclusive of all eras and diverse cultural aspects of New Jersey's history, as well as be geographically representative of the entire State. Under the bill, the division would develop and maintain an interactive website providing information on the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail and other historic sites and memorials throughout the State. The bill requires the division to update the website whenever a historic site or memorial is added to the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail or whenever a governmental entity establishes a new historic site or memorial.
Additionally, the bill requires the division to collect information for an inventory on existing county or municipal historic marker programs in the State. The bill also requires the division to accept submissions from the public recommending, for inclusion on the New Jersey Historical Markers Trail, historic sites and memorials not owned, operated, or maintained by a governmental entity through an electronic submission form made available by the division on its Internet website.
