An Act concerning the arts and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. a. There is established, in the Department of State, the New Jersey Business and the Arts Commission. The duties and responsibilities of the commission shall be to promote the arts Statewide by: encouraging government, non-profit, and private sector entities to exhibit works of art and performance art wherever practicable in public and private spaces; encouraging the exhibition of art at visitor destinations, including at restaurants and casinos, and business offices; assisting the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in supporting art in public buildings, pursuant to the "Public Buildings Arts Inclusion Act," P.L.1978, c.117 (C.52:16A-29 et seq.); and encouraging the exhibition of art created by a person or entity from the State.

b. The New Jersey Business and the Arts Commission shall consist of 11 voting members, to be selected and qualified as follows:

(1) the Secretary of State, or the secretary's designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(2) the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority or the chief executive officer's designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(3) the Chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority or the chairman's designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(4) the Chairman of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, who shall serve ex officio;

(5) the Director of the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, who shall serve ex officio;

(6) three members of the public who shall represent the arts in the State, with at least one member having experience with visual arts and one member having experience with performing arts, to be appointed by the Governor; and

(7) three members of the public who shall represent businesses in the State, with at least one member having experience with small businesses and one member having experience with large corporations, to be appointed by the Governor.

c. Of the six members first appointed, two shall be appointed to a term of two years, two shall be appointed to a term of three years, and two shall be appointed to a term of four years. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for a term of four years.

d. Each appointed member shall serve for the term of the appointment and until a successor shall have been appointed and qualified.

e. Any vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

f. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members, and shall select a chair from among its members, and a secretary who need not be a member of the board.

g. A majority of the entire commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the commission at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the commission.

h. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

i. The commission shall be entitled to the assistance and service of the employees of the Department of State, and may avail itself of the services of the employees of any other State department, board, bureau, commission, agency, or public institution of higher education in the State, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would establish the New Jersey Business and the Arts Commission, in the Department of State.

The commission would have duty and responsibility to promote the arts Statewide by: encouraging government, non-profit, and private sector entities to exhibit works of art and performance art wherever practicable in public and private spaces; encouraging the exhibition of art at visitor destinations, including at restaurants and casinos, and business offices; assisting the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in supporting art in public buildings, pursuant to the "Public Buildings Arts Inclusion Act"; and encouraging the exhibition of art created by a person or entity from the State.

The New Jersey Business and the Arts Commission would include 11 voting members, as follows: the Secretary of State, or the secretary's designee; the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority or the chief executive officer's designee; the Chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority or the chairman's designee; the Chairman of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts; the Director of the Division of Travel and Tourism; three members of the public who would represent the arts in the State, with at least one member having experience with visual arts and one member having experience with performing arts, to be appointed by the Governor; and three members of the public who would represent businesses in the State, with at least one member having experience with small businesses and one member having experience with large corporations, to be appointed by the Governor.