Bill Text: NJ S3175 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-12-19 - Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading [S3175 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S3175-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission."
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As the 250th anniversary of the United States approaches, along with the anniversaries of the crucial battles of Trenton and Princeton that helped secure the American Revolution, there is established the "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission." The purpose of the commission shall be to evaluate the feasibility of forming a National Historical Park that would include the existing Washington Crossing State Park, Trenton Battle Monument, and Princeton Battlefield State Park, and to evaluate the impact, including the advantages and disadvantages, of creating a National Historical Park.
b. The commission shall consist of nine members as follows:
(1) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, ex officio, or a designee;
(2) two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, which members shall not be of the same political party;
(3) two members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, which members shall not be of the same political party;
(4) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission, ex officio, or a designee; and
(5) three public members appointed by the Governor, with expertise in a field essential to preserving historical resources, such as, but not limited to, history, architecture, planning, engineering, and archaeology.
c. Appointments to the commission shall be made within 60 days following the effective date of this act. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson from among its membership, and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
d. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum. The commission may conduct business without a quorum, but may only vote on recommendations when a quorum is present. The commission shall meet at the call of its chairperson, at the times and in the places the chairperson may deem appropriate and necessary to effectuate the commission's duties, and it may conduct public hearings at such place or places as the chairperson designates.
e. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
f. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
g. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the officials and employees of the State and its political subdivisions and their departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and agencies as it may require and as may be available to it for the purposes of the commission. The Department of Environmental Protection shall provide staff support services to the commission.
2. a. The "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission" shall evaluate:
(1) the feasibility of establishing a National Historical Park by taking into consideration (a) any federal requirements, (b) the distance between the parks, (c) differences in park management, and (d) any other potential issues that may arise when establishing a National Historical Park;
(2) solutions to mitigate potential issues arising from the establishment of a National Historical Park; and
(3) the impact, advantages, and disadvantages of creating a National Historical Park, including:
(a) the impact of creating a National Historical Park on the preservation of historical and ecological resources located within the parks, such as buildings, scenery, historical objects, landmarks, and wildlife;
(b) the impact of creating a National Historical Park on neighboring communities and businesses, including the potential effects of additional visitors to certain areas of the State, in particular during the years surrounding the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America;
(c) the impact of converting State or private lands to federal parkland;
(d) the impact of creating a National Historical Park on local tax revenue, and on total State tourism revenue; and
(e) any additional potential impacts, advantages, and disadvantages that the commission chooses to discuss.
b. The commission shall issue a final report of its findings and conclusions to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature no later than one year following the first meeting of the commission.
3. This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission by the commission of
its report pursuant to section 2 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission" to evaluate the feasibility of forming a National Historical Park that would include the existing Washington Crossing State Park, Trenton Battle Monument, and Princeton Battlefield State Park. The commission would consist of nine members: the Commissioner of Environmental Protection; two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate; two members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; the Executive Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission; and three public members appointed by the Governor, all of whom would be required to have expertise in a field essential to preserving historical resources.
The commission would evaluate:
(1) the feasibility of establishing a National Historical Park;
(2) the impact, advantages, and disadvantages of creating a National Historical Park; and
(3) solutions to mitigate any potential issues arising from the establishment of a National Historical Park.
The commission would issue a final report of its findings and conclusions to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year following the first meeting of the commission. The commission would expire upon the submission of the commission's report.
