Bill Text: NJ A2912 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Program" in Department of State.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism and the Arts Committee [A2912 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A2912-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblywoman DIANNE C. GOVE
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Program" in Department of State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Program" in the Department of State and supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Act."
2. As used in this act:
"Act" means the "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Act."
"Certified mentor business" means a tourism business or not-for-profit organization which mentors and provides tourism mentoring services to a small business, as certified and approved by the division pursuant to subsection b. of section 3 of this act.
"Competitive intelligence information" means information about competitors and their strategies, industry trends and forecasts, market size and sales, financial analysis, business planning, strategic planning, market demographics and psychographics, market research reports, potential market niches, prospective partners and resources, and marketing lists and leads.
"Division" means the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1977, c.225 (C.34:1A-48).
"Limited liability company" means a company organized pursuant to the "New Jersey Limited Liability Company Act," P.L.1993, c.210 (C.42:2B-1 et seq.).
"Not-for-profit organization" means any corporation or association that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. s.501(c)) and has as its principal purpose, or as a purpose ancillary to its principal purpose, the business of tourism in this State.
"Program" means the "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Program" established pursuant to section 3 of this act.
"Small business" means: (1) a business enterprise involved in the business of tourism, which has its principal place of business in this State, is independently owned and operated as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or limited liability company, and has no more than 50 full-time employees; or (2) a not-for-profit organization.
"Tourism business" means: (1) a business enterprise involved in the business of tourism for at least five years, which has its principal place of business in this State, and derives at least 50 percent of its sales and at least 50 percent of its revenues from its business within the State; or (2) a not-for-profit organization.
"Tourism mentoring services" means the services provided by a certified mentor business to a small business and which include, but are not limited to, the provision of advice regarding tourism business management and tourism promotion techniques, competitive intelligence information concerning the tourism industry, and technical advice and strategic guidance to enable small businesses to meet their objectives, including training that is focused on providing small businesses the opportunity to participate in tourism trade shows.
3. a. Within 60 days of the effective date of this act, the division, after examining tourism mentor and matchmaker programs within or outside of this State and, in consultation with any not-for-profit entity, including the New Jersey Business Action Center in the Department of State, or any for-profit entity, shall establish a "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Program." The purpose of the program shall be to encourage a certified mentor business in collecting, developing, maintaining, distributing, and publishing information relating to tourism for use by a small business and to match a certified mentor business with a small business for the purpose of providing tourism mentoring services to that small business. The information relating to tourism may be in the form of academic courses or seminars offered in various regions of the State, the cost of which is borne by the attendees. The tourism mentoring services to be provided by the certified mentor business shall include, but not be limited to, providing tourism business management advice, assisting with the adoption of efficient tourism business operations, and developing strategies to enable a small business to meet its objectives, including training or financial or technical support.
b. The division shall establish a process by which a tourism business or not-for-profit organization may be certified and approved as a certified mentor business and shall consult with appropriate tourism industry and trade associations to maximize financial and technical support for the program.
c. In order to develop, organize, and implement the program, the division shall regularly make known its interest in seeking tourism businesses and not-for-profit organizations willing to provide tourism mentoring services to small businesses by conducting seminars and workshops and through printed materials and electronic communications. The division shall make known the availability of State and federal financial assistance for small businesses and shall make arrangements which result in linking State and federal tourism services with small businesses.
d. The division shall maintain a registry of small businesses interested in receiving tourism mentoring services and shall screen all tourism businesses and not-for-profit organizations making application to be included on the registry to ensure that each small business is capable of benefiting from the tourism mentoring services offered by certified mentor businesses.
e. The division shall issue guidelines setting forth:
(1) the types of information to be provided by certified mentor businesses; and
(2) the nature and extent of the tourism mentoring services to be provided by certified mentor businesses.
f. The division shall have the right to approve or deny any proposal for the provision of tourism mentoring services submitted by a certified mentor business seeking to participate in the program.
4. The division is authorized to act through a not-for-profit entity designated by the division to initiate contacts with existing entities in the State including, but not limited to, community colleges, New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, research centers associated with private industry or institutions of higher education in this State, appropriate agencies, authorities, departments, divisions, boards, or bureaus of the federal, State, or local government, or any other appropriate not-for-profit or for-profit entity, for the purpose of seeking certified mentor businesses and small businesses to participate in the program.
5. Within 24 months of the effective date of this act, the division shall report electronically to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature on the outcome of the program authorized under this act, which report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the number and type of small businesses assisted by the program, the number and type of certified mentor businesses participating in the program, and any recommendations regarding the improvement and expansion of the program in the State.
6. The division shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt any rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
7. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Travel and Tourism ("division") in the Department of State, after examining existing tourism development programs within or outside of this State and, in consultation with any not-for-profit entities, including the New Jersey Business Action Center in the Department of State, or any or for-profit entities, to establish a "Tourism Mentor and Matchmaker Program" ("program") to assist the needs of small businesses who wish to increase the amount of tourism-related services those businesses offer.
The program encourages certified for-profit businesses or not-for-profit organizations that act as mentors to collect and publish information relating to tourism for use by the State's small for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and to assist these small businesses in increasing their tourism-related services. Certified mentor businesses will provide tourism management advice, assist with the adoption of tourism techniques, and develop strategies to enable these small businesses to meet their business objectives. The division shall establish a process by which a tourism business or not-for-profit organization may be certified and approved as a certified mentor business and shall consult with appropriate tourism industry and trade associations to maximize financial and technical support for the program.
The bill authorizes the division to act through a designated not-for-profit entity to initiate contacts with various entities in the State, including but not limited to, institutions of higher education, New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, and private sector research centers, to seek certified tourism mentor businesses and small businesses to participate in the program.
