ASSEMBLY TOURISM, GAMING AND THE ARTS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 6124

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 15, 2025

      The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 6124.

As amended by the committee, this bill clarifies the minimum annual allocation of funding collected from the hotel and motel occupancy fee and updates the statutory poison pill provision governing these allocations.

     P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1 et al) established a hotel and motel occupancy fee and requires minimum allocations to various cultural and tourism programs.  The law currently allocates a certain percentage of revenues collected from the hotel and motel occupancy fee: 22.68 percent to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for cultural projects, provided that of the revenue collected in Fiscal Year 2021 and thereafter, the amount allocated may not be less than $31,900,000; 3.84 percent to the New Jersey Historical Commission, provided that of the revenue collected in Fiscal Year 2021 and thereafter, the amount allocated may not be less than $5,500,000; 12.76 percent to the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State for tourism advertising and promotion, provided that of the revenue collected in Fiscal Year 2021 and thereafter the amount allocated may not be less than $17,600,000; and 0.72 percent to the New Jersey Cultural Trust, provided that the amount allocated may not be less than $720,000.  In recent years, there have emerged multiple interpretations regarding which minimum funding levels must be met to avoid triggering a “poison pill” provision of current law that suspends the collection of the fee if the annual appropriations act fails to provide certain minimum funding levels.

     This bill, as amended, clarifies that beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, the State is required to annually appropriate not less than the following amounts from the revenues generated from the hotel and motel occupancy fee: $31,900,000 to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for cultural projects; $5,500,000 to the New Jersey Historical Commission for certain grants; $17,600,000 to the Division of Travel and Tourism for tourism advertising and promotion; and $720,000 to the New Jersey Cultural Trust.  The bill further clarifies that beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, the poison pill provision would be triggered if less than these amounts are appropriated in any fiscal year.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments remove a one-time supplemental appropriation of $1,000,000 for the Division of Travel and Tourism.