N.J. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 16

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-1 Short title

This act may be cited as the "State Economic Development Assistance Act of 1966." L.1966, c. 130, s. 1, eff. June 17, 1966.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-2 Legislative findings

The Legislature hereby finds that: a. The maintenance of the State economy at a high level is vital to the public interest and in order to continue and accelerate the growth of new industries and businesses in the State, to enable our citizens the opportunity to secure gainful employment within the State, and to compete successfully with other States in attracting industry, business concerns and new job opportunities, it is necessary for the State to encourage and facilitate the actions of such concerns interested in locating in New Jersey, and to cooperate in the preparation of necessary surveys which will determine the feasibility of locating said industry or business in New Jersey. b. To further achieve the optimum effectiveness of our State's over-all economic development, expansion and growth, a State financial assistance program is necessary at all levels of government, including public or private nonprofit agencies participating in economic development; to provide more intense, vigorous economic development programs related to industry, commerce, international trade, small business, agricultural markets, conventions, research and science advancement, and tourist-resort-vacation trade throughout the State of New Jersey. L.1966, c. 130, s. 2, eff. June 17, 1966.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-3 Meaning of terms

The following terms whenever used or referred to in this act have the following meanings, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise: (a) "Commissioner" shall mean the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Economic Development or his designated representative. (b) "Department" shall mean the Department of Conservation and Economic Development. (c) "Division" shall mean the Division of Economic Development of the Department of Conservation and Economic Development. (d) "Survey" shall mean any study of the feasibility of locating within this State a specific industrial or business concern, including but not limited to an analysis of the potential market, plant or business location, availability of raw materials or land use zone requirements, topographic characteristics, labor supply, profitability and other financial considerations. (e) "Economic Development Agency" shall mean any county, municipality, other governmental agency or nonprofit agency, or a combination thereof, which is engaged in economic development programs to expand, locate or relocate industry and improve commerce or trade in its area of responsibility, and including but not limited to, the following: (1) "International and Domestic Trade Agency" shall mean any nonprofit corporation, organization, association or agency that is properly designated to encourage, stimulate and advance trade between the States of the union and between nations internationally and which conducts studies, promotional programs and activities relating to the increase of production of New Jersey manufactured products. (2) "Agricultural Marketing Agency." This will apply to any nonprofit corporation, organization, association or agency that has been established to advance, promote and otherwise increase the marketing potential of agricultural products indigenous to its area. (3) "Convention-Promotion Agency." This term is defined as a nonprofit corporation that is organized to attract, promote and otherwise stimulate the convention business in its respective area. (4) "Tourist Vacation Trade Agency." This term is defined as any nonprofit corporation, organization, association or similar agency that is properly designated and which conducts programs to promote, advertise, study and attract the tourist visitor and improve vacation business in the area it serves. (5) "Research and Science Advancement Agency." This term is defined as any nonprofit corporation that has been designated to advance the interest of research, science and product development within the area it serves or within the entire State of New Jersey. (6) "Nonprofit Agency." This term shall apply to those agencies designated to promote and execute plans for expanding economic development, conduct studies, promotional programs and related activity to increase the economic climate of the area it serves. (f) "Promotion." This term is defined as including advertising, brochures, reports, exhibits, radio, television and other media to attract, stimulate and otherwise generate business in the area of service and in the category defined. (g) "Matching Funds." This term shall be defined as the matching of funds allocated by the State under the terms of this act to an economic development agency, and in no instance shall the matching funds exceed the amounts that the agency shall itself appropriate and expend. (h) "Eligibility." The term "eligibility" shall apply to the matter of any nonprofit corporation, organization, association or agency, municipality, county, other governmental agency or combination thereof that may apply to the State for financial assistance and such eligibility shall be determined by rules and regulations established by the Commissioner of Conservation and Economic Development. L.1966, c. 130, s. 3, eff. June 17, 1966.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-4 Application for grant; determination of eligibility

Any nonprofit corporation, organization or association which is engaged in economic development programs to expand, locate or relocate industry and improve commerce or trade in its area of responsibility may make application to the commissioner for a grant in accordance with the provisions of this act. Upon a determination of eligibility of said nonprofit corporation, organization or association by the commissioner, the commissioner may make a grant to said applicant for the purposes specified in this act. The commissioner may reject an application which substantially duplicates or overlaps another economic development program for the county, municipality or region and recommend a joint application and undertaking if appropriate. L.1966, c. 130, s. 4, eff. June 17, 1966.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-5 Designation of agency to apply for and receive grants

Any county, municipality, other governmental agency or a combination thereof may by resolution designate itself or an agency or agencies to apply for and perform any one or more of the programs encompassed by this act. Such county, municipality or other governmental agency or a combination thereof may itself or authorize such a designated agency to make application to the commissioner and subject to his approval receive grants to carry out the programs and the purposes specified in this act. L.1966, c. 130, s. 5.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-6 Recognition of economic development agencies

The commissioner upon receipt of certified copies of such resolutions or other documentation as may be necessary to satisfy him that an economic development agency has been duly chosen to act for a particular county, municipality, other governmental agency or a combination thereof, may recognize such development agency or agencies for such county, municipality or region for the purposes of this act. L.1966, c. 130, s. 6.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-7 Applications for and approval of grants to economic development agencies

The commissioner is hereby authorized to make grants to recognized economic development agencies, to assist such agencies in the financing of their operational costs for the purposes of making studies, surveys and investigations, the compilation of data and statistics and in the carrying out of planning and promotional programs: Provided, that, before any such grant may be made: (a) The economic development agency shall have made application to the commissioner for such grant, and shall have therein set forth the studies proposed to be made, the statistics, data and surveys proposed to be completed, and the program proposed to be undertaken for the purpose of encouraging and stimulating economic development in the county, municipality or region. The application shall further state, under oath or affirmation, with evidence thereof satisfactory to the commissioner, the amount of funds held by, committed or subscribed to the economic development agency for application to the purposes herein described and the amount of the grant for which application is made; and (b) The commissioner, after review of the application, if satisfied that the program of the economic development agency appears to be in accord with the purposes of this act, shall authorize the making of a matching grant to such economic development agency, not to exceed 50% of the funds allocated by the agency to the program described in its application. L.1966, c. 130, s. 7.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-8 Payment of grants to economic development agencies

Upon approval of each application and the making of a grant by the commissioner in accordance therewith, the commissioner shall give notice to the particular development agency of such approval and grant, and shall direct the development agency to proceed with its application and to use therefor the furnishing of satisfactory evidence to the commissioner on a quarterly basis, that the particular development agency has so proceeded, the grant allocated to such development agency shall be paid over on such basis to the development agency by the commissioner. L.1966, c. 130, s. 8.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-9 Rules and regulations of the department

In order to effectuate and enforce the provisions of this act, the commissioner is authorized to promulgate necessary rules and regulations and prescribe procedures in order to assure compliance by economic development agencies in carrying out the purposes for which grants may be made hereunder. L.1966, c. 130, s. 9.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-10 Criteria for eligibility

(a) Criteria for eligibility shall in the case of tourist-vacation trade agencies include requirements for the accumulation of accurate reporting media dealing with total visitor and visitor income, registration of hotel, motel, amusement, recreation, restaurant and similar operations for the purpose of directories, maintenance of rates, charges, fees and costs thereof and such added factual materials as the commissioner may require. (b) Criteria for eligibility shall in the case of industrial location and development agencies include requirements for the preparation of community fact sheets, compilation of industrial sites by size and characteristics, and usage, as well as vacant buildings, and the registration of new operation industries, including research establishments together with such other factual material as the commissioner may require. (c) Criteria for eligibility shall in the case of agricultural markets include the compilation of statistics relating to commodity production, farms, producers and related matters for consumer directories and product promotion. (d) Criteria for eligibility for those agencies dealing with other factors of the economy shall be determined by the nature and substance of the applications submitted to the commissioner. L.1966, c. 130, s. 10.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-11 Co-operation with other agencies

The commissioner is directed to administer this development assistance program with such flexibility as to permit full co-operation between the State and Federal Governments, or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them, so as to bring about as effective and economical a development program as possible. L.1966, c. 130, s. 11.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-12 Criteria for division of programmed and recognized expenditures

The criteria for the division of programmed and recognized expenditures under the provisions of this act shall be on the basis that, as against total project costs, not more than 25% shall be expended for salaries; not more than 25% for special services; and, the balance of 50% for surveys, brochures, advertising, exhibits and similar promotional operations as defined by regulation of the commissioner. The division set forth herein may, for good and just cause submitted by special application to the commissioner, be reallocated up to 10% from and to each category. L.1966, c. 130, s. 12.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-13 Application for loan; additional information

Any person or corporation considering locating an industrial or business concern in the State and desiring a State loan for the purpose of surveying the feasibility of such action, may file an application for such loan with the commissioner. With this application there shall be attached such information as the commissioner may require concerning the type, cost and financing contemplated for the concern which would be established, the area in the State under consideration for the location of the concern and the natural resources, if any, or facilities which would be necessary for the operation of such a concern. L.1966, c. 130, s. 13, eff. June 17, 1966.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-14 Authority to enter into contract with applicant

The commissioner, if after reviewing the application and the material attached thereto, is satisfied that: (a) The proposed plans of the applicant, if executed, would contribute to New Jersey's economic growth and would create new employment opportunities for the State. (b) The applicant has a bona fide interest in locating a concern in the State and there is a reasonable prospect that the survey would result in the establishment of an industrial or business concern, may, within the limits of the funds available in the Industrial and Business Survey Loan Fund, hereinafter created by this act, enter into a contract with the applicant whereby the State agrees to pay up to 50% of the cost of a survey exploring the feasibility of establishing in the State the industrial or business concern contemplated by the applicant. L.1966, c. 130, s. 14.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-15 Contract provisions

Any contract entered into pursuant to the provisions of this act shall provide that: (a) The State will pay a certain percentage fixed by the commissioner, not exceeding 50%, of the cost of the survey. The survey must be made by a qualified person or firm selected by the applicant subject to the prior approval of the commissioner. The commissioner has the right to review and make such changes as he shall deem necessary in the survey agreement to be executed between the applicant and the person responsible for making the survey. The time of completion of the contract will be established by the applicant subject to the approval of the commissioner. (b) The person making the survey shall submit progress reports to the commissioner and the applicant in accordance with a schedule to be provided for in each individual contract. (c) If the commissioner finds that there has been noncompliance with the terms of the contract, that the progress reports of the survey indicate that the establishment of the industrial or business concern is not feasible or that the applicant is no longer interested in locating his concern in the State, he may cancel the contract, upon 10 days written notice to the applicant and the person making the survey. If the contract is so canceled, as of the date of the cancellation, the cost of the survey shall be prorated between the State and the applicant and all information, material and other data assembled in connection with the survey shall become the exclusive property of the State. (d) If the applicant, upon completion of the survey, decides to locate his concern in the State, he will repay the loan made by the State, in the manner and within the time to be prescribed in the contract. Upon completion of said repayment, the applicant shall have exclusive rights to the survey. (e) If the applicant, upon completion of the survey decides not to locate his concern in the State, the survey will forthwith become the exclusive property of the State of New Jersey. If the applicant refuses to turn over the survey upon a request therefor he shall be liable for the entire amount of the loan made by the State. L.1966, c. 130, s. 15.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-16 Rules and regulations

The commissioner shall have the power to make, promulgate, modify, amend and repeal rules and regulations to effectuate his powers and duties under this act. L.1966, c. 130, s. 16.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-17 Partial invalidity

If any clause, sentence, subdivision, paragraph, section or part of this act be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, subdivision, paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which said judgment shall have been rendered. L.1966, c. 130, s. 17.

N.J. Stat. § 13:16-18 Appropriation of funds

The funds necessary to accomplish the provisions of this act shall be appropriated from the General Treasury to the department for the purposes of this act. L.1966, c. 130, s. 18.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026