SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT, WAGERING, TOURISM & HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 3151

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  DECEMBER 17, 2018

 

 

      The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3151.

     The bill appropriates $1,190,349 to the New Jersey Historic Trust for the purpose of providing historic site management grants, as awarded by the New Jersey Historic Trust, for certain historic preservation projects contained in this bill, and associated administrative expenses.

     The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, approved by the voters of the State in November 2014, including the unexpended balances in the Diesel Risk Mitigation Fund – Constitutional Dedication account made available for these purposes pursuant to P.L.2018, c.53 (i.e., the FY2019 annual appropriations act).  The “Preserve New Jersey Act” implements for State fiscal years 2017 through 2019, the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation.  Specifically, of the funding provided in this bill, $1,179,349 is from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues in the “Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund,” and $11,000 is from the unexpended balances in the Diesel Risk Mitigation Fund – Constitutional Dedication account. The “Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund” was established by section 9 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.” 

     The 33 projects listed in this bill have been approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Garden State Preservation Trust. 

     Historic site management grants support non-construction activities. Of the projects in this bill:  29 grants will help fund preservation planning projects such as condition assessments, historic structure reports, archaeological investigations, and construction documents; and four grants will help fund projects to improve visitors’ experience at historic sites by assessing heritage tourism potential and creating interpretive plans and signage. All the grants require a match from the recipient.  All of the properties are listed or eligible to be listed in the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places, either individually or within designated historic districts, and the project names in the bill are the names of the properties as they are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and may not reflect the current names of the property.

     The bill also provides that any transfer of any funds to another project, or change in project sponsor, site, or type, listed in the bill would require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.  The bill further provides that to the extent there are funds remaining after those projects listed in this bill are offered funding, the New Jersey Historic Trust, with the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, may use those funds to provide additional funding for historic preservation projects of local government units or qualifying tax-exempt nonprofit organizations previously approved for funding pursuant to various other laws or approved for funding pursuant to this bill.

     Lastly, this bill appropriates $152,728 from the “Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund” to the New Jersey Historic Trust for the purpose of providing funding for the organizational, administrative and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, materials and services necessary to administer the applicable provisions of this bill.