Bill Text: NJ S1261 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Division of Travel and Tourism develop and maintain Internet website on historic sites, districts, and roadside markers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S1261 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1261-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Requires Division of Travel and Tourism develop and maintain Internet website on historic sites, districts, and roadside markers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning historic sites, districts, and roadside markers in this State and supplementing P.L.2009, c.264 (C.18A:73-25.5 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, in consultation with the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Department of Transportation, the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, the Historic Sites Council in the Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historic Trust in the Department of Community Affairs, and any other State entity with a program for identifying historic sites or districts, shall develop and maintain an Internet website providing information on the State's historic sites and historic districts, including, but not limited to, the historical and cultural roadside markers program established pursuant to P.L.2009, c.264 (C.18A:73-25.5 et seq.). 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 site or district 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 site or district offers guided tours, the frequency of tours, and the hours during which tours are conducted;
(3) display photographs of each site or district;
(4) provide contact information for the owner or operator of each site, including the telephone number and Internet web address of the site, and similar contact information for a historic district, if any; and
(5) connect visitors to county or municipal historical and cultural marker programs and their list of markers.
b. The director of the division shall ensure that the Internet website is updated whenever a site or district is added to the roadside markers program or whenever a governmental entity establishes a new site or district, including, but not limited to, new historic sites and historic districts added by the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, the Historic Sites Council in the Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historic Trust in the Department of Community Affairs, any other State entity with a program for identifying historic sites or districts, and any new site or district receiving a road sign issued by the Department of Transportation. The division may accept information or changes to the website from the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey Historic Trust, the Department of Transportation, any other State entity with a program for identifying historic sites or districts, local government officials and entities, owners or operators of historical and cultural sites in the State, or entities that identify and compile data on such sites.
c. The New Jersey Historical commission, in addition to the provisions of section 2 of P.L.2009, c.264 (C.18A:73-25.6), shall accept submissions from the public recommending, for inclusion in the historical and cultural roadside markers program, historic districts and historic sites not owned, operated, or maintained by a governmental entity through an electronic submission form made available by the division on its Internet website. The markers shall feature a standardized design bearing the State seal, indicating that the site or district has been approved by the commission and that the marker meets standards for historical accuracy. The commission shall consult with the Department of Transportation to establish standards for the design, placement, and location of the roadside markers.
d. As used in this section:
"Historic district" means one or more historic sites and intervening or surrounding property significantly affecting or affected by the quality and character of the historic site or sites.
"Historic site" means any real property, man-made structure, natural object or configuration or any portion or group of the foregoing of historical, archeological, cultural, scenic, or architectural significance.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State to develop and maintain an Internet website for historic sites and historic districts, including, but not limited to, the New Jersey program on historical and cultural roadside markers.
Under the bill, the division would develop and maintain an interactive website providing information on the historic sites or historic districts throughout the State. The bill requires the division to update the website whenever a site or district is added to the program or whenever a governmental entity establishes a new historic site or district.
