An Assembly Resolution establishing the Assembly Culture, History, Arts, and Tourism Legislative Panel.

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. There is hereby established the "Assembly Culture, History, Arts, and Tourism Legislative Panel," to be comprised of five members of the General Assembly. The members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and shall be selected from districts throughout the State, and have some expertise in culture, history, the arts, tourism, historic preservation, amusement attractions, sports and recreational activities, public events or exhibitions, or advertising, marketing, and promotion. No more than three members of the panel shall be of the same political party and no more than two members of the panel shall be from the same geographic region.

2. a. The panel shall organize as soon as may be practicable after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the panel.

b. The members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the panel.

c. The panel may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the General Assembly.

d. The panel shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, authority, agency, task force, or other entity, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes. The panel may also employ stenographic and clerical assistance and may incur travel and other miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds made available to it for its purposes.

3. The purpose of the panel shall be to study and evaluate, and develop legislative or administrative recommendations relating to, providing a permanent, secure, and sustainable source of funding for cultural, historical, arts, and tourism programs and sites throughout the State. The panel shall consider issues and concerns relating to funding cultural, historical, arts, and tourism programs and sites, including, but not limited to, the following:

a. maintaining a permanent source of secure State funds, with the capacity to increase funding for such purposes;

b. the future funding and financing needs of cultural, history, the arts, and tourism programs and sites, and the impact of any funding or financing requirements on the annual State budget;

c. the development of new partnerships with the private sector and with other public sector interests; and

d. alternative sources of funding and alternative financing structures.

4. The panel shall issue a report, of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for legislation or administrative action, no later than one year after the effective date of this resolution or the appointment of its members. The report shall be submitted to the Governor, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the President of the Senate, and the Minority Leaders of the General Assembly and Senate.

5. This resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the panel submits and files its report, as prescribed in section 4 of this resolution.

STATEMENT

This resolution establishes the Assembly Culture, History, Arts, and Tourism Legislative Panel, to be comprised of five members of the General Assembly.

The members of the panel would be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and be selected from districts throughout the State, and have some expertise in culture, history, the arts, tourism, historic preservation, amusement attractions, sports and recreational activities, public events or exhibitions, or advertising, marketing, and promotion.

The purpose of the panel is to study and evaluate, and develop legislative or administrative recommendations relating to, providing a permanent, secure, and sustainable source of funding for cultural, historical, arts, and tourism programs and sites throughout the State. In particular, the panel would consider: (1) maintaining a permanent source of secure State funds, with the capacity to increase funding for such purposes; (2) the future funding and financing needs of cultural, history, the arts, and tourism programs and sites, and the impact of any funding or financing requirements on the annual State budget; (3) the development of new partnerships with the private sector and with other public sector interests; and (4) alternative sources of funding and alternative financing structures.

The panel would issue a report, to the Governor, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the President of the Senate, and the Minority Leaders of the General Assembly and Senate, no later than one year after the effective date of this resolution or the appointment of its members.