Bill Text: NJ A3216 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows Dept. of Agriculture to sell Internet advertisements on its website as pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-25 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture Committee [A3216 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A3216-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Allows Dept. of Agriculture to sell Internet advertisements on its website as pilot program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act allowing the Department of Agriculture to sell Internet advertisements on the department's website as a pilot program.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds that State government websites provide timely and useful information to the public about State programs and services, and that these websites are informative in nature and do not serve as a public forum or a limited public forum for the discussion or exchange of ideas. The Legislature further finds that allowing the Department of Agriculture to sell Internet advertisements for display on its website could provide a new source of revenue for the department. The Legislature therefore declares that it is appropriate and in the public interest to allow the Department of Agriculture to establish a pilot program to sell Internet advertisements for display on its website, provided that the advertisements are consistent with the business mission and purpose of the department as well as any Internet advertisement guidelines adopted by the department.
2. a. Beginning 90 days following the date of enactment of this act, the Department of Agriculture shall establish a three-year pilot program of selling Internet advertisements for display on the department's website. The website shall include a disclaimer indicating that the inclusion of Internet advertisements does not imply endorsement by the department or the State.
b. Within 90 days after conclusion of the pilot program, the department shall submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) that evaluates the effectiveness of the pilot program. The report shall include a detailed summary of both the expenditures made and the revenues produced under the program, as well as recommendations concerning whether to continue the program.
c. As used in this act, "Internet advertisement" means specific advertising methods on the Internet, including display or banner advertisements, sponsorships, and business listings where goods or services may be purchased online.
3. Prior to selling Internet advertisements, the Department of Agriculture shall develop policy, style, and content guidelines for Internet advertisements that ensure that the subject matter of any Internet advertisement displayed by the department directly relates to the business mission and purpose of the department. The Secretary of Agriculture, to the maximum extent practicable, shall enter into contracts for Internet advertisements with businesses based in this State, unless the secretary determines it to be inconsistent with the public interest.
4. a. There is established in the Department of the Agriculture a special fund to be known as the "Jersey Fresh Program Fund."
b. All revenue generated from the sale of Internet advertisements under this act shall be deposited into the "Jersey Fresh Program Fund" by the Department of Agriculture.
c. The Legislature shall annually appropriate all funds deposited into the " Jersey Fresh Program Fund" established pursuant to this section to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of providing support to the Jersey Fresh Program, which shall include, but need not be limited to, funding advertising, promotional, and quality grading program activities to inform consumers about the availability of locally grown agricultural products.
d. As used in this section, "Jersey Fresh Program" means Jersey Fresh for fruits and vegetables, Jersey Grown for nursery crops, Jersey Seafood for aquacultured and wild-caught fish and shellfish, Jersey Equine for equine livestock, and Made with Jersey Fresh for processed food made with New Jersey sourced agricultural products.
5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon submission of the report required pursuant to section 2 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture to establish a three-year pilot program to sell Internet advertisements for display on the department's website. The website shall include a disclaimer indicating that the inclusion of Internet advertisements does not imply endorsement by the department or the State. "Internet advertisement" is defined to mean specific advertising methods on the Internet, including display or banner advertisements, sponsorships, and business listings where goods or services may be purchased online.
The bill provides that department must develop policy, style, and content guidelines for website advertisements that ensure that the subject matter of the advertisement directly relates to the department's business mission and purpose.
To receive the revenue generated from the sale of Internet advertisements, the bill establishes the Jersey Fresh Program Fund. The bill directs that fund deposits are to be annually appropriated to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of providing support to the Jersey Fresh Program, which would include, but need not be limited to, funding advertising, promotional, and quality grading program activities.
The bill requires the department, within 90 days after conclusion of the pilot program, to submit a detailed report to the Governor and the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the program, including a summary of expenditures and revenues under the program, together with recommendations concerning whether to continue the program.
The purpose of this bill is to create an additional funding source for advertising, promotional, and quality grading program activities under the Jersey Fresh Program.
