ASSEMBLY TOURISM, GAMING AND THE ARTS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4954

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 14, 2024

      The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4954.

This bill establishes a historic preservation planning course to be completed by members and prospective members of historic preservation commissions.  The bill requires that all regular and alternate members of historic preservation commissions complete a historic preservation planning course to retain their membership on the commission.  The course will be prepared and offered by the Department of Community Affairs.  The course will be no more than five hours of instruction and will be structured so that a member is able to complete it within one day.  The commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs will work in conjunction with the New Jersey Historic Trust and the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office to establish standards for the curriculum and administration of the course.  Under the bill, certain persons who are certified as professional planners or who have completed a more extensive course will be exempt from the course required in the bill.

     Historic preservation commissions established by law play a vital role in preserving the unique character of New Jersey’s small towns and municipalities.  New Jersey has over 300 years of history and the loss of the tangible remains of the past would diminish New Jersey’s quality of life.  This bill provides the tools to those who oversee the preservation of our built environment so that the vestiges of New Jersey’s past will be carefully and thoughtfully woven into the future.