Bill Text: NJ S2016 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Appropriates $70 million in federal funds to EDA to support arts and culture organizations negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-4)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S2016 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2016-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Cryan, Diegnan, Schepisi, Singleton, Turner, Bramnick, Ruiz, Greenstein, Zwicker, Cruz-Perez, Johnson and Burgess
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $70 million in federal funds to EDA to support arts and culture organizations negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act appropriating federal funds to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to support arts and culture organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Subject to the availability of federal funds allocated to the State from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund," established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L.117-2, $70 million from such federal funds shall be appropriated to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for the purpose of awarding grants to qualifying arts and culture organizations, as set forth in this section.
b. (1) Of the federal funds appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the authority, in consultation with the council, shall award $50 million in grants to support the financial recovery, resiliency, and growth of qualifying arts and culture organizations. Of this total, $10 million in grants shall be dedicated to arts education organizations that provide programs and services for school districts, charter schools, or organizations offering afterschool programs, free of charge, for participating students.
(2) The grants awarded under this subsection may be used to offset any revenue losses that occurred as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic or provide the cash reserves necessary to ensure continued operations in the event of future pandemic-related shutdowns.
c. Of the federal funds appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the authority, in consultation with the council, shall award $20 million in grants to qualifying arts and culture organizations to support the completion of placemaking projects.
d. Any arts or culture organization that seeks a grant pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the authority in a form and manner prescribed by the authority. The authority shall approve the applications on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds.
e. The authority may adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the provisions of this section.
f. As used in this section:
"Authority" means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, established by section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4).
"Council" means the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1966, c.214 (C.52:16A-25).
"Placemaking project" means any creative or artistic project intended to beautify or enrich public spaces, including, but not limited to, artistic paintings on roadways or sidewalks, landscape plantings in public areas, educational signage, and other artistic, cultural, or educational installations.
"Qualifying arts and culture organization" means any arts and culture organization, including for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations, that was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill appropriates $70 million in federal funds to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to support arts and culture organizations, including for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations, that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the bill, the EDA, in consultation with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (council), would be required to award $50 million in grants to support the financial recovery, resiliency, and growth of qualifying arts and culture organizations. However, of this total, $10 million in grants would be dedicated to arts education organizations that provide programs and services for public schools or afterschool programs. Specifically, these grants may be used to offset any revenue losses that occurred as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic or provide the cash reserves necessary to ensure continued operations in the event of future pandemic-related shutdowns.
Additionally, the bill requires the EDA, in consultation with the council, to award $20 million in grants to qualifying arts and culture organizations to support the completion of placemaking projects in public spaces. Under the bill, placemaking projects would include any creative or artistic project intended to beautify or enrich public spaces, such as artistic paintings on roadways or sidewalks, landscape plantings in public areas, educational signage, and other artistic, cultural, or educational installations.
The monies appropriated under the bill would be provided from the State's allocation of funds from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund," established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021".
