New Jersey Assembly Bill A3051

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Allocates all revenue from hotel and motel occupancy fee for arts, historical heritage, and tourism purposes.

Impact

If passed, A3051 would significantly enhance the financial resources available for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Historical Commission, and the Division of Travel and Tourism. Specifically, the bill mandates that 56.7% of the total occupancy fee revenues would be directed to arts projects, nearly doubling the historical amount. The measure also specifies minimum guaranteed allocations for historical and tourism-related funding, ensuring stability in financial support for these sectors.

Summary

Assembly Bill A3051 proposes to allocate all revenue collected from the hotel and motel occupancy fee specifically for purposes associated with the arts, historical heritage, and tourism. This bill seeks to amend the existing law which currently allocates a portion of the occupancy fee revenue, ensuring a more robust funding stream for these vital cultural sectors. The new structure under the bill would increase the allocation from a current practice of distributing 40% of the revenue to a full 100% dedicated to cultural and tourism initiatives.

Contention

The proposed bill is likely to face scrutiny regarding potential impacts on the overall budget and whether redirecting 100% of the hotel occupancy fees might affect other budget areas. There may be concerns from stakeholders about the dependence on hotel occupancy revenues, which can fluctuate with economic conditions affecting tourism. Furthermore, some may argue about the balance of funding allocation, favoring certain areas of culture or tourism over others, potentially igniting debate among various community stakeholders about priorities and the fair distribution of state resources.