Bill Text: NJ S601 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes N.J. Historical Commission program for preservation and marking of graves of signers of Declaration of Independence; appropriates $200,000.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S601 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S601-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator BILL BARONI
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes N.J. Historical Commission program for preservation and marking of graves of signers of Declaration of Independence; appropriates $200,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing a program within the New Jersey Historical Commission to provide funding for preservation of the graves of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that the freedoms that Americans enjoy today would not have been possible without the heroic actions taken by the delegates to the second Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; that the grave sites of five signers of the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Clark, George Clymer, John Hart, Richard Stockton, and John Witherspoon, are located within this State; that it is the responsibility of the State of New Jersey to honor these men by encouraging the preservation of their grave sites; and that it is important to provide the people of New Jersey the opportunity to learn about the signers and their grave sites through the placement of historical markers.
The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the public interest to authorize the New Jersey Historical Commission to plan and carry out a program to encourage the preservation and marking of the grave sites of the signers of the Declaration of Independence buried in New Jersey.
2. The New Jersey Historical Commission shall establish a program to encourage the preservation of the five grave sites of the signers of the Declaration of Independence located in New Jersey and to promote public awareness of the lives of the signers, their role in the history of United States and New Jersey, and the location of their grave sites.
3. The New Jersey Historical Commission shall include in the program established pursuant to section 2 of this act a grant program to make funds available to cemetery companies, religious corporations, societies or organizations that operate cemeteries grants for the preservation and maintenance of the grave sites of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and historical markers or plaques to indicate the location of a signer's grave site.
4. The New Jersey Historical Commission may take any administrative or personnel action as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act and as may be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for this purpose.
5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Historical Commission the sum of $200,000 to implement the provisions of this act.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a program within the New Jersey Historical Commission, the purpose of which is to encourage the preservation of the grave sites of the signers of the Declaration of Independence located in New Jersey and to promote public awareness of the signers' lives and the location of their grave sites. This program shall consist of making available to cemetery companies or religious corporations, societies or organizations that operate cemeteries grants for the preservation and maintenance of the grave sites of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and historical markers or plaques to indicate the location of a signer's grave site.
The program shall also conduct a public awareness and educational campaign. This campaign would include producing printed and internet-based informational material designed to inform New Jersey residents and tourists about the lives of the signers and the location of their grave sites.
The grave sites of Abraham Clark, John Hart, Richard Stockton, and John Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence as representatives of New Jersey, and George Clymer, who signed as a representative of Pennsylvania, are located within this State.
This bill appropriates $200,000 to the New Jersey Historical Commission for the implementation of the provisions of this act.
