Bill Text: NJ A3030 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Division of Travel and Tourism to create interactive Explore NJ mobile electronic communication device application.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-06-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism and the Arts Committee [A3030 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A3030-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblywoman DIANNE C. GOVE
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Division of Travel and Tourism to create interactive Explore NJ mobile electronic communication device application.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning mobile electronic communication devices and visitor destinations, 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. a. In addition to the powers and duties of the division as provided in section 9 of P.L.1977, c.225 (C.34:1A-53), the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, in consultation with the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, shall create and maintain, or contract for the creation or maintenance of, an interactive Explore New Jersey application for mobile electronic communication devices.
b. The Explore New Jersey application shall provide, directly to a user's mobile electronic communication device, information on tourist and visitor centers and destinations in the State, including but not necessarily limited to parks, forests, historic sites, art galleries, museums, organizations, performance halls, studios, theaters, and cultural, athletic, and entertainment venues and facilities, and the amenities and services related thereto. The application shall also provide information specifying directions to, operating hours of, and activities available at each destination, and shall have social networking capabilities.
c. The Explore New Jersey application shall be free of charge for use on a mobile electronic communication device, and be made compatible with as many cellular telephone models as possible, and available for at least the three largest cellular phone operating systems.
d. Any revenue generated by the Explore New Jersey application shall be appropriated to the Division of Travel and Tourism for the purpose of (1) maintaining or updating the application, as may be necessary over time, or (2) advertising or promoting the use of the application.
e. As used in this section:
"Application" means a program downloaded onto and used in conjunction with a mobile electronic communication device.
"Mobile electronic communication device" means any mobile device capable of communication or other transmission of information, and includes, but is not limited to, a cellular telephone, wireless tablet or other device with Internet capability, or other wireless communication device.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, in consultation with the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, to create and maintain, or contract for the creation or maintenance of, an interactive Explore New Jersey application (commonly know as an "app") for mobile electronic communication devices, such as cellular telephones and tablets.
The Explore New Jersey application would provide information on tourist and visitor centers and destinations, including but not necessarily limited to parks, forests, historic sites, art galleries, museums, organizations, performance halls, studios, theaters, or cultural, athletic, and entertainment venues and facilities, and the amenities and services related thereto. The application would also provide information specifying directions to, operating hours of, and activities available at each destination, and would have social networking capabilities.
The Explore New Jersey application would be free of charge for use on mobile electronic communication devices and would be made compatible with as many cellular telephone models as possible. The bill would also require the application to be made available for at least the three largest cellular phone operating systems (i.e., Android, Apple iPhone, Blackberry, etc.). Any revenue generated by the application would be appropriated to the Division of Travel and Tourism for the purpose of (1) maintaining or updating the application, as may be necessary over time, or (2) advertising or promoting the use of the application.
In January 2012, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the launch of Pocket Ranger, a free mobile phone application to help visitors plan for and make the most out of their trips to New Jersey's State parks, forests, and historic sites. With the Pocket Ranger application, visitors can use their smartphones to find overviews, directions, operating hours and activities available at various sites managed by the DEP's Division of Parks and Forestry. The DEP receives a portion of advertising revenues generated by the application. The Pocket Ranger application can help visitors make lodging reservations, has social networking capabilities, and provides an advanced map-caching feature that allows users to continue to navigate even if mobile service is lost. In addition, advanced global positioning system (GPS) technology allows hikers to keep track of where they are and how far they've hiked. The application also has a Friend Finder feature that allows users to keep track of the location of friends and family. As an added safety feature, Pocket Ranger has an alert feature that notifies select contacts of the person's GPS coordinates in the event of an emergency.
