Requires Division of Travel and Tourism develop and maintain Internet website on historic sites, districts, and roadside markers.

S552 2R

[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 552

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Senator� SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Diegnan

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Division of Travel and Tourism develop and
maintain Internet website on historic sites, districts, and roadside markers.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As amended by the Senate on May 28, 2026.

��

An Act

concerning
historic sites, districts, and

roadside markers in this State and supplementing P.L.2009, c.264 (C.18A:73-25.5
et seq.).

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

����� 1.�� a.�
The Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, in consultation
with the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Department of Transportation,
the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental
Protection, the Historic Sites Council in the Department of Environmental
Protection, the New Jersey Historic Trust in the Department of Community
Affairs, and any other State entity with a program for identifying historic
sites or districts, shall develop and maintain an Internet website providing
information on the State�s historic sites and historic districts, including,
but not limited to, the historical and cultural roadside markers program
established pursuant to P.L.2009, c.264 (C.18A:73-25.5 et seq.). The
information on the website shall be searchable and available as a list and as
an interactive map, and shall:

����� (1)�
specify the location of each site or district and provide driving directions
from the north, south, east, and west, as well as directions by public transit
where applicable;

����� (2)�
provide information about whether the site or district offers guided tours, the
frequency of tours, and the hours during which tours are conducted;

����� (3)�
display photographs of each site or district;

����� (4)�
provide contact information for the owner or operator of each site, including
the telephone number and Internet web address of the site, and similar contact
information for a historic district, if any; and

����� (5)�
connect visitors to county or municipal historical and cultural marker programs
and their list of markers.

����� b.�� The
director of the division shall ensure that the Internet website is updated
whenever a site or district is added to the roadside markers program or
whenever a governmental entity establishes a new site or district, including,
but not limited to, new historic sites and historic districts added by the
Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection,
the Historic Sites Council in the Department of Environmental Protection, the
New Jersey Historic Trust in the Department of Community Affairs, any other
State entity with a program for identifying historic sites or districts, and
any new site or district receiving a road sign issued by the Department of
Transportation. The division may accept information or changes to the website
from the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historical
Commission, the New Jersey Historic Trust, the Department of Transportation,
any other State entity with a program for identifying historic sites or
districts, local government officials and entities, owners or operators of
historical and cultural sites in the State, or entities that identify and
compile data on such sites.

����� c.�� The
New Jersey Historical commission, in addition to the provisions of section 2 of
P.L.2009, c.264 (C.18A:73-25.6), shall accept submissions from the public
recommending, for inclusion in the historical and cultural roadside markers
program, historic districts and historic sites not owned, operated, or
maintained by a governmental entity through an electronic submission form made
available by the division on its Internet website.� The markers shall feature a
standardized design bearing the State seal, indicating that the site or
district has been approved by the commission and that the marker meets
standards for historical accuracy.� The commission shall
1
[
consult
]

comply
1
with the
1
standards and requirements established by the
1
Department of Transportation
1
[
to establish standards
]
1
for the design, placement, and location of the
roadside markers.

����� d.�� As
used in this section:

����� �Historic
district� means one or more historic sites and intervening or surrounding
property significantly affecting or affected by the quality and character of
the historic site or sites.

����� �Historic
site� means any real property, man-made structure, natural object or
configuration or any portion or group of the foregoing of historical,
archeological, cultural, scenic, or architectural significance.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect
2
[
immediately
]

120 days
after the date of enactment
2
.