Requires Division of Travel and Tourism develop and maintain Internet website on historic sites, districts, and roadside markers.
S552 requires the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, working with several other state agencies and preservation entities, to create and maintain a public Internet website about New Jersey historic sites, historic districts, and roadside markers. The site must be searchable and available both as a list and an interactive map, and it must include locations, driving and transit directions where applicable, tour information, photographs, and contact information for site owners or operators. It must also link users to county and municipal historical and cultural marker programs.
The bill also requires the website to be kept current when new historic sites, districts, or roadside marker locations are added by state or local entities. In addition, it directs the New Jersey Historical Commission to accept public submissions, through an online form on the website, recommending privately owned historic sites and districts for inclusion in the roadside markers program. The bill further specifies that roadside markers use a standardized design bearing the State seal and that the commission comply with Department of Transportation standards for marker design, placement, and location.
The bill would expand the administrative responsibilities of the Division of Travel and Tourism and create a centralized digital resource for historic preservation and heritage tourism information. It does not create new preservation designations by itself, but it changes how historic sites, districts, and roadside markers are publicized, updated, and accessed by the public. It also affects the New Jersey Historical Commission’s intake process by formalizing electronic public submissions for privately owned sites and districts, and it reinforces DOT’s role in setting standards for roadside marker design and placement.
The available voting history suggests the bill was received favorably in committee, passing the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee unanimously 5-0 and being reported with amendments. The absence of recorded opposition or negative testimony in the provided materials indicates broad support for the bill’s tourism, education, and preservation goals. Overall, the measure appears to have been viewed as a practical modernization of how the state presents historic resources to the public.
No major contention is reflected in the provided committee materials or vote record. The only potentially sensitive issues implied by the text are the coordination among multiple agencies, the requirement to keep the website updated as sites are added, and the use of standardized marker design and DOT standards, which could raise implementation or administrative concerns. The public submission process for privately owned historic sites may also require careful review standards, but no opposition to that feature is shown in the record provided.