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A2386 • 2026

Establishes matching grant program in Department of State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.

Establishes matching grant program in Department of State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Moen, William F., Jr.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes matching grant program in Department of State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.

Establishes matching grant program in Department of State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes matching grant program in Department of State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.
  • Topic: Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee

Official Summary Text

Establishes matching grant program in Department of State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.
Topic:
Tourism, Gaming and the Arts
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A2386

ASSEMBLY, No. 2386

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes matching grant program in Department of
State for local government units hiring storytellers with Revolutionary War
expertise for United States Semiquincentennial; makes appropriation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

establishing a matching grant program in the
Department of State for local government units that hire storytellers with
Revolutionary War expertise for the United States Semiquincentennial and making
an appropriation.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� There is established
in the Department of State a program to provide matching grants funds of up to
$25,000 each to local government units to hire storytellers with Revolutionary
War historical expertise for the purpose of attracting tourists in celebration
of the United States Semiquincentennial.

���� b.��� In establishing the
matching grant program pursuant to this section, the department shall:

���� (1)�� develop guidelines and
procedures for submission of matching grant applications and criteria for the
applications� evaluation;

���� (2)�� establish terms and
conditions for awarding a matching grant pursuant to this section, and monitor
a grant recipients� compliance with the terms and conditions; and

���� (3)�� require the recipient of
a matching grant to report to the department information relating to its use of
the funds.

���� c.���� The Department of State
shall award matching grants to a local government unit on a competitive basis
based upon an applicant�s demonstration of certain criteria, which shall
include, but not be limited to:

���� (1)�� submission of specific
objectives in the hiring of one or more storytellers with Revolutionary War
historical expertise for the United States Semiquincentennial; and

���� (2)�� evidence the local
government unit is located within an area of historical significance concerning
the Revolutionary War.

���� d.��� (1)� Within 90 days
after the date of enactment, and notwithstanding the provisions of the
�Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to the
contrary, the Department of State shall adopt, immediately upon filing proper
notice with the Office of Administrative Law, the rules and regulations
prepared by the department necessary to establish and implement the grant
program.

���� (2)�� The rules and
regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be in
effect until the expiration of the grant program.

���� 2.��� There is appropriated
$2,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of State to implement the
provisions of section 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� (pending before the Legislature as
this bill).� The unexpended balance on December 31, 2026 shall lapse into the
General Fund.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire upon the earlier of: (1) the exhaustion of
funds appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act; or (2) December 31,
2026.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes in the
Department of State (department) a program to provide matching grant funds of
up to $25,000 each to local government units to fund the hiring of storytellers
with Revolutionary War historical expertise for the purpose of attracting
tourists in celebration of the United States Semiquincentennial.

���� The bill provides that, in
establishing the matching grant program, the department is to develop
guidelines, terms and conditions, and reporting procedures, as enumerated in
the bill.

���� Matching grants are to be
awarded to local government units on a competitive basis based upon an
applicant�s demonstration of certain criteria, which are to include, but not be
limited to:

���� (1)�� submission of specific
objectives in the hiring of one or more storytellers with Revolutionary War
historical expertise for the United States Semiquincentennial; and

���� (2)�� evidence the local
government unit is located within an area of historical significance concerning
the Revolutionary War.

���� The bill provides that within
90 days after enactment of the bill, and notwithstanding the provisions of the
�Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to the
contrary, the department is to adopt, immediately upon filing proper notice
with the Office of Administrative Law, the rules and regulations prepared by
the department necessary to establish and implement the grant program.

���� The rules and regulations
adopted by the department are to be in effect until the expiration of the grant
program, which is to occur upon the exhaustion of the $2,000,000 appropriated
from the General Fund or by the end of 2026.