An Act concerning the New Jersey Historical Commission and historic projects, and amending and supplementing P.L.1999, c.131.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 3 of P.L.1999, c.131 (C.18A:73-22.3) is amended to read as follows:

3. a. The New Jersey Historical Commission within the Department of State shall establish:

(1) A program for the purpose of awarding grants from the fund established pursuant to subsection a. of section 4 of this act for general operating support to public or private historical libraries, history museums, historical societies, historic sites, historical agencies of county or local governments, or any related agency or organization; and

(2) A program for the purpose of awarding grants from the fund established pursuant to subsection a. of section 4 of this act to organizations, entities or individuals in support of research and publication on New Jersey history.

b. (1) The commission shall develop guidelines and criteria for each program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The guidelines and criteria shall include, but not be limited to: eligibility requirements for applicants; conditions under which applications will be approved; conditions which may be required to be met by approved applicants; forms for applications; application contents; an application acceptance and review process; the manner of awarding of monies to approved applicants; and oversight or accountability for the expenditure of monies awarded to approved applicants. The commission shall establish program guidelines and criteria and advertise the programs in such a way as to develop a pool of applicants that reflects the racial, ethnic, and geographical diversity of the State.

(2) The commission shall develop the guidelines and criteria for each program utilizing the definitions set forth in section 2 of this act and in consultation with: Advocates for New Jersey History; New Jersey State Archives; Association of New Jersey County Cultural and Historic Agencies; Division of Parks and Forestry, Department of Environmental Protection; Genealogical Society of New Jersey; Historic Preservation Office, Department of Environmental Protection; League of Historical Societies of New Jersey; Newark Public Library; New Jersey Association of Museums; New Jersey Caucus, Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference; New Jersey Council for the Humanities; New Jersey Council for the Social Studies; New Jersey Historic Trust; New Jersey Historical Society; New Jersey Library Association; New Jersey State Library; New Jersey State Museum; New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance; Northern New Jersey Museum Round Table; Preservation New Jersey; and Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries. In addition, the commission shall consult with at least three historians distinguished by their knowledge of New Jersey history and their record of publication in the field in developing the guidelines and criteria for the program established pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section.

c. (1) All applications received by the commission for grants to be awarded under the programs established pursuant to this section shall be reviewed and evaluated by a panel of reviewers selected by the commission. A separate panel of reviewers shall be selected for each program. The commission shall identify a pool of potential panel reviewers for each program and shall select from that pool the panel for each program to review the applications received for the program. Each panel shall be composed of persons who are experts in the area for which the program provides support. The panel of reviewers for each program shall evaluate each application received for a grant to be awarded under the program and make recommendations to the commission.

(2) The commission shall make the final decision on each application received, taking into consideration the recommendations of the panel of reviewers. The commission, may within its discretion, offer an approved applicant an award amount less than the amount requested by the applicant.

d. (1) The commission shall inform the public about the programs established pursuant to subsection a. of this section in a manner determined by the commission to result in as wide a dissemination of information as possible within the limits of monies available to the commission for this purpose. The commission may utilize such methods for the dissemination of information as may be available to State agencies for the dissemination of information on other such programs.

(2) At the request of the applicant, the commission shall provide advice, in any manner the commission deems appropriate, to interested applicants on the preparation of their applications.

e. The New Jersey Historical Commission shall assist any organization, entity, or individual seeking support pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section, in promoting an historic project pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) ( pending before the Legislature as this bill).

(cf: P.L.1999, c.131, s.3)

2. (New section) In addition to the authority set forth pursuant to subsection (d) of N.J.S.18A:73-25, the New Jersey Historical Commission shall accept and administer any gift or grant, donated pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Any gift or grant that is not used in accordance with the purposes set forth in section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be returned to the donor or refused. The Department of the Treasury shall provide the means by which donations may be made to the commission pursuant to this section and section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

3. (New section) a. The New Jersey Historical Commission shall establish a program to help historic sites and organizations by periodically announcing and promoting an historic project of an historic site or organization on the commission's Internet website. This program shall be a creative platform to enable historic sites and organizations to gain exposure, generate funding, and leverage donations for their historic projects, through the commission, while historic sites and organizations may retain independence and ownership of the project. No offer of financial returns or equity, or solicitation of loans, shall be made in connection with any historic project.

b. The commission shall determine the qualifications necessary to be eligible for inclusion in the program, and evaluate and approve an historic site or organization and its developing project prior to promotion.

c. The program website shall provide for any visitor to the website a means to donate to a specific historic site or organization, or historic project. A gift or grant donated for the purposes of this section shall only be accepted by the commission on behalf of the historic site or organization. Any donation to an historic site or organization shall be used at the discretion of the historic site or organization accepting it and any donation to a specific historic project shall be used by the historic site or organization for the designated historic project.

d. The commission may request to monitor or oversee the progress of an historic project, as appropriate, and may require an historic site or organization to report progress on occasion. The commission shall not be responsible for ensuring the completion of a project. An historic or organization shall notify the commission, in writing, upon completion of a project.

e. The commission may collaborate, consult, or partner with an organization, including an Internet-based organization, that supports creative projects by fundraising and engaging the public at-large, in order to fulfill the mission of the program. The commission may also partner with, or contract for, such an organization to specifically announce or promote an historic site or organization and accept gifts or grants towards any developing project on behalf of the historic site or organization in furtherance of the goals of this act.

f. As used in this section, an "historic site or organization" means an "historic site," "historical society," "historical library," "history museum," or a "related agency or organization," as are defined pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1999, c.131 (C.18A:73-22.2), and an historical agency of local or county government.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would authorize the New Jersey Historical Commission ("commission") to establish a program to support New Jersey historic sites and organizations and collect donations for projects on their behalf.

Specifically, the commission would establish a program to help historic sites and organizations by announcing and promoting an historic project on the commission's website. "Historic sites and organizations" include historic sites, historical societies, historical libraries, history museums, historical agencies of local or county government, and related not-for-profit agencies and organizations.

This program would be a creative platform to enable historic sites and organizations to gain exposure, generate funding, and leverage donations for their historic projects, through the commission, while retaining independence and ownership of the project. No offer of financial returns or equity, or solicitation of loans, would be made in connection with any historic project.

The program website would provide the means for any visitor to the website to donate to a specific historic site or organization, or specific historic project. A gift or grant donated for these purposes would only be accepted by the commission on behalf of an historic site or organization. Any donation to an historic site or organization would be used at the discretion of the historic site or organization accepting it and any donation to a specific historic project would be used by the historic site or organization for the designated historic project. The commission would be authorized to accept and administer gifts or grants to be used only in accordance with the purposes set forth in this bill, or they would be returned to the donor or refused. The Department of the Treasury would provide the means by which donations may be made to the commission.

Under the bill, the commission may request to monitor or oversee the progress of an historic project, as appropriate, and may require an historic site or organization to report progress on occasion; however, the commission would not be responsible for ensuring the completion of a project, nor would it investigate an historic site or organizations' ability to complete a project. An historic site or organization would be required to notify the commission, in writing, upon completion of a project.

Additionally, this bill would allow the commission to collaborate, consult, or partner with an organization, including an Internet-based organization (for example, a crowdsourcing or advocacy organization such as Kickstarter, Inc.), whose mission is to support creative projects by fundraising and engaging the public at-large. The commission may also partner with or contract for such an organization to specifically announce or promote New Jersey historic sites or organizations and accept gifts or grants towards a developing project on behalf of an historic site or organization in furtherance of the goals of this bill.