Bill Text: NJ A4357 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Small Business Unit and Small Business Task Force within Business Action Center in Department of State.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-18 - Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [A4357 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4357-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman VINCENT MAZZEO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblyman JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Small Business Unit and Small Business Task Force within Business Action Center in Department of State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act creating the Small Business Unit and Small Business Task Force within the Business Action Center in the Department of State and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in sections 1 through 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Authority" means the "authority" as provided in section 3 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-3).
"Center" means the Business Action Center established in the Department of State.
"Central county" means the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, or Warren.
"Northern county" means the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, or Union.
"Small business" means a business:
a. newly engaged in the active conduct of a trade or business after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);
b. having less than 50 full-time employees employed at a location in this State;
c. which is independently owned and operated; and
d. which satisfies other criteria that may be established by the authority.
"Southern county" means the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, or Salem.
"Task force" means the "Small Business Task Force" established pursuant to section 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
"Technical assistance" means assistance in the establishment, development, or promotion of a small business under the terms and conditions adopted by the authority under the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
2. a. In order to improve efficiency, achieve savings, and enhance the productivity of the State's interaction with small businesses, there is hereby established the Small Business Unit within the Business Action Center in the Department of State.
b. The Small Business Unit, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the authority, shall act as the State's liaison to the small business community and provide information, technical assistance, and guidance, to the extent that is feasible, on the following subject areas:
(1) State and federal small business assistance programs, including, but not limited to, financial incentive programs and international trade assistance and promotion programs, as well as any assistance programs offered by the United States Small Business Administration;
(2) State taxes, fees, or charges paid by small businesses;
(3) permits, licenses, certificates, and other governmental-approvals needed by small businesses issued by any New Jersey municipality or county, the State, or the federal government;
(4) State regulations impacting small businesses;
(5) real property in this State that is available for purchase or lease for small business use;
(6) staffing, training, and available customized workforce development programs offered to small businesses;
(7) construction projects within New Jersey that need small business services; and
(8) any other matter that the Small Business Unit determines would be valuable to small businesses.
c. (1) The Small Business Unit, to the extent feasible, shall, upon request and free of charge, provide individualized competitive intelligence information to small businesses. The Small Business Unit may partner with organizations in the State to provide individualized competitive intelligence information to small businesses.
(2) The information provided pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be based upon the needs of the small business requesting competitive intelligence information and may include, but shall not be limited to, information about the small business' competitors and their strategies, industry trends and forecasts, market size and sales, financial analysis, business planning, strategic planning, market demographics and psychographics, market research reports, potential market niches, prospective partners and resources, and marketing lists and leads. Information addressing the needs of a requesting small business may be provided in the form of personalized counseling or management consulting.
(3) All requests for competitive intelligence information made to the Small Business Unit shall be considered confidential and the Small Business Unit, or any organization that is partnered with the Small Business Unit to provide competitive intelligence information, shall not disclose any non-public proprietary information about the requesting small business obtained while assisting that small business to any other business or private entity. Neither the Small Business Unit nor any organization that is partnered with the Small Business Unit to provide competitive intelligence information shall provide any non-public proprietary information to a requesting small business. An action shall not be brought against the State, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, for relief in connection with the Small Business Unit's provision of competitive intelligence information under this subsection.
(4) The Small Business Unit may develop an internship program to assist in providing a small business requesting competitive intelligence information. Whenever possible, the Small Business Unit may hire interns that have a bachelor or greater degree in business or a related field, which may include, but not be limited to, finance, accounting, economics, and any other field deemed related by the Small Business Unit.
d. The Small Business Unit shall work in conjunction with in-State academic institutions and local and State agencies or non-profit entities to develop and promote training programs and seminars designed to support the growth and expansion of small businesses.
e. The Small Business Unit shall work cooperatively with the authority and other State departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and authorities to explore and implement opportunities to direct resources and create enhanced incentives for small businesses receiving assistance from the Small Business Unit.
f. The center is authorized to call upon the Small Business Unit and any department, authority, commission, board, office, division, or agency of the State to provide any information, resources, or other assistance deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). This may include, but not be limited to: the authority for assistance with small business financial assistance programs; the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for assistance by developing workforce development strategies for small businesses; the Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Transit Corporation for assistance by enhancing public transportation operations for employees of small businesses; and the Department of Community Affairs for assistance with information on the urban enterprise zone program established by P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-60 et al.).
3. a. The center shall prepare an annual report on the Small Business Unit's activities and deliver the report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of small businesses assisted by the Small Business Unit, the number of small businesses established, the names and addresses of the small businesses located within the State, the total amount of benefits distributed, the benefits received per small business, the number of new jobs created by small businesses, the amount of new investment per small business, the types of industries represented, and any other information as the center determines is necessary to evaluate the activities of the Small Business Unit.
b. The center shall create an interactive website for the Small Business Unit which shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1) a list of the State and federal resources available to potential small businesses, including, but not limited to, programs offered to small businesses by the United States Small Business Administration;
(2) a description of the economic incentives for small businesses assisted by the Small Business Unit; and
(3) the contact information for the center and the Small Business Unit.
c. The Small Business Unit shall distribute electronically, via electronic mail, a quarterly newsletter that provides information concerning any new, repealed, or amended State regulation, which the Small Business Unit determines is relevant to small businesses, and, through its website, shall permit individuals to submit an electronic mail address at which they may receive a copy of each newsletter.
4. a. There is established within the center a "Small Business Task Force" to advise the center with respect to the functioning of the Small Business Unit and to foster the development and assist the needs of small businesses in this State.
b. The membership of the task force shall be comprised of the following 15 members:
(1) the director of the center, ex officio, or the director's designee;
(2) the dean of the business school at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, ex officio, or the dean's designee;
(3) the president of the UCEDC, a statewide nonprofit economic development corporation, ex officio, or the president's designee;
(4) the director of the city government department responsible for economic development in both cities of the first class meeting that designation pursuant to subsection a. of N.J.S.40A:6-4 as of the 2010 federal decennial census, ex officio;
(5) the director of the city government department responsible for economic development in three cities of the second class, as that term is defined in N.J.S.40A:6-4, chosen by the director of the center, one from a city of the second class in a central county, one from a city of the second class in a northern county, and one from a city of the second class in a southern county, all ex officio; and
(6) seven public members, three of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, two of whom shall be appointed by the Senate President, and two of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. Each public member shall be a resident of this State and own or operate a business having less than 25 full-time employees at a location in this State within the last two years.
c. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointment. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for this purpose.
d. The task force shall:
(1) annually select a chairperson from among its members;
(2) meet at least four times per year; and
(3) be entitled to call to its assistance, and avail itself of the services of the employees of the center, the authority, and any State authority, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require, and as may be available to it for its purposes.
e. Nine months after the first organizational meeting of the task force and every two years thereafter, the task force shall develop and provide to the center, the Governor, and pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report providing its recommendations on how the Small Business Unit, the center, and the State government can foster the creation and growth of small businesses in this State. The report shall contain information on the availability of State incentive programs to small businesses, a comparison of incentive programs available to small businesses in New Jersey with those in other States, and recommendations on changes to incentive programs to enhance the viability of small businesses.
5. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 60 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill creates the Small Business Unit (SBU) and Small Business Task Force (task force) within the Business Action Center (BAC) in the Department of State for the purpose of providing information to small businesses concerning: 1) State and federal small business assistance programs; 2) State taxes; 3) permits, licenses, certificates, and other governmental-approvals; 4) State regulations; 5) workforce development programs; 6) construction projects within New Jersey that need small business services; and 7) any other matter that the SBU determines would be valuable to a small business. A small business is a business having fewer than 50 full-time employees in this State that is established after the effective date of the bill.
In providing information to these small businesses, the BAC is to create an interactive website to include, but not be limited to: 1) a list of the resources available to small businesses; 2) a description of the financial incentives for small businesses with the criteria for each program; and 3) the contact information for the BAC and the SBU.
The BAC is to provide an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature on the SBU's activities. The report is to include, but not be limited to, the number of small businesses assisted by the SBU, the number of small businesses established, the names and addresses of the small businesses, the total amount of benefits distributed, the benefits received per small business, the number of new jobs created by small businesses, the amount of new investment per small business, the types of industries represented, and any other information as the BAC determines is necessary to evaluate the activities of the SBU.
Further, the bill establishes within the BAC a "Small Business Task Force" to advise the BAC with respect to the functioning of the SBU and to foster the development and assist the needs of small businesses in this State. The task force is to be comprised of eight ex officio members and seven public members. The ex officio members are: 1) the director of the BAC, 2) the dean of the business school at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; 3) the president of the UCEDC, a statewide nonprofit economic development corporation; 4) the directors of the city government department responsible for economic development in the two cities of the first class and three cities of the second class. Of the seven public members, three are to be appointed by the Governor, two are to be appointed by the Senate President, and two are to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. Each public member is to be a resident of this State and own or operate a business having less than 25 full-time employees in this State within the last two years.
Within nine months after the first organizational meeting of the task force and every two years thereafter, the task force is to develop and provide to the BAC, the Governor, and the Legislature a report providing its recommendations as to how the SBU, the BAC, and the State government can foster the creation and growth of small businesses in this State. The report is to contain information on the availability of State incentive programs to small businesses, a comparison of incentive programs available to small businesses in New Jersey with those in other States, and recommendations on changes to incentive programs to enhance the viability of small businesses.
