ASSEMBLY TOURISM, GAMING AND THE ARTS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4883

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 7, 2026

      The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4883.

      This bill requires the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State to establish a New Jersey Film Trail.  The New Jersey Film Trail will identify locations in this State where filming for popular movies, television, and other entertainment occurred.  Private residences will not be identified as filming locations on the film trail. 

     Under the bill, the Division of Travel and Tourism, in consultation with the Motion Picture and Television Development Commission in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, will determine and select sites where filming occurred to be part of the film trail and design official filming markers with a description of the filming that was completed at the location, including what production was filmed, which performers took part in the filming, and when the filming took place.  The filming markers will be erected on sites or property owned by the State and the division may coordinate with owners of private property to erect filming markers on private property, unless the private property is a private residence. 

     The bill directs the division to accept for consideration submissions from the public and from private entities recommending locations for inclusion on the film trail through an electronic submission form made available by the division on its Internet site.  The commission will confirm the authenticity of the locations submitted for consideration before the locations are added to the film trail by the division.

     The bill provides that the division will not use public funds to produce, purchase, or erect filming markers on private property.  The division will have the authority to receive gifts, grants, or other financial assistance from private sources for the purpose of funding or reimbursing the division for costs associated with reviewing, producing, purchasing, or erecting any filming marker.

     The division will coordinate with the commission to develop and maintain an Internet website providing information on the film trail.  The information on the website will be searchable and available as a list and as an interactive map, and will specify the location of each filming location and provide driving directions from the north, south, east, and west as well as directions by public transit where applicable, if the filming location offers tours, provide information about how to take a tour, the frequency of tours, and hours during which tours are conducted, display photographs of the filming location, and provide a description of the filming that was completed at the location, including, at a minimum, the same information provided on the associated filming marker.  The division will develop and publish on its website vacation itineraries based on the film trail, which will identify for visitors surrounding attractions, restaurants, lodging, and other exhibits or places of entertainment in close proximity to the locations on the film trail.