S 4268 — Requires Division of Travel and Tourism to establish New Jersey Film Trail.

S4268 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

SenatorSenators Diegnan and Johnson         SYNOPSIS      Requires Division of Travel and Tourism to establish New Jersey Film Trail.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As introduced.reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on June 24, 2026, with amendments.

            1.   1.   a.  The Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State shall establish a New Jersey Film Trail.  The purpose of the New Jersey Film Trail shall be to identify locations in this State where filming for popular movies, television, and other entertainment occurred.  Private residences shall not be identified as filming locations on the film trail.       b.   1[b.]1 The Division of Travel and Tourism, in consultation with the Motion Picture and Television Development Commission in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1977, c.44 (C.34:1B-24), shall:shall 1[:

     (1)(1)]1 determine and select such sites where filming occurred in this State to be part of the film trail;trail 1[;

     c.    c.    All filming markers on the film trail that are erected by the division shall be the property of the State.  No person, entity, or business shall erect, receive, retain, possess, transport, alter, or remove a marker without written permission of the appropriate official of the division and may do so only in a manner consistent with any direction therefrom.  No person, entity, or business shall duplicate the filming markers, or create, obtain, sell, distribute, or install similar filming markers with an intent to mislead or deceive the public and shall not create, obtain, sell, distribute, or install any filming markers purporting to be the official marker established by the division.  The division may contact and coordinate with any owner of a private property or business designated as a filming site to facilitate the establishment of the marker at the site, unless the private property is a private residence.residence]1.

     d.   1[d.] b.1 The division shall accept for consideration, as appropriate, submissions from the public and from private entities recommending locations for inclusion on the film trail, which are not owned, operated, or maintained by a governmental entity, through an electronic submission form made available by the division on its Internet website.  The commission shall confirm the authenticity of the locations submitted for consideration before the locations are added to the film trail by the division.

     e.    1[e. The division may establish any guidelines, rules or regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), regarding all aspects of the filming markers associated with the film trail.

     f.     The division shallmay notestablish useany publicguidelines, fundsrules to produce, purchase, or erectregulations, filming markers on private property bearing the designation established pursuant to this section.  The division shall have the authority“Administrative toProcedure receiveAct,” gifts,P.L.1968, grants,c.410 or(C.52:14B-1 otheret financialseq.), assistanceregarding fromall privateaspects sources for the purpose of funding or reimbursing the divisionfilming formarkers costs associated with reviewing, producing, purchasing, or erecting any filming marker.  The division may enter into agreements related thereto including, but not limited to, with private sources, and non-governmental, non-profit, educational, or charitable entities or institutions for the purpose of operating and enhancing the film trailtrail. experience.

      f.    The division shall not use public funds to produce, purchase, or erect filming markers on private property bearing the designation established pursuant to this section.  The division shall 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 may enter into agreements related thereto including, but not limited to, with private sources, and non-governmental, non-profit, educational, or charitable entities or institutions for the purpose of operating and enhancing the film trail experience.]1             2.   2.   a.  The Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State shall coordinate with the Motion Picture and Television Commission to develop and maintain an Internet website providing information concerning the New Jersey Film Trail established by section 1 of P.L.    , c.     (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and it’s1[it’s] locations. the1 locations 1included in the film trail1.  The information on the website shall be searchable and available as a list and as an interactive map, and shall:

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

     (2)  (2)  if the filming site offers tours, provide information about how to take a tour, the frequency of tours, and hours during which tours are conducted;

     (3)  (3)  display photographs of the filming site;

and      (4)  (4)  provide a description of the filming that was completed at the location,location 1[, including, at a minimum, the same information provided on the associated filming marker established pursuant to subsection b.

of section 1 of P.L.    , c.     (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).bill)]1.

     b.    The division shall develop and publish on its website vacation itineraries based on the film trail, to identify for visitors surrounding attractions, restaurants, lodging, and other exhibits or places of entertainment in close proximity to the locations on the film trail.       c.    c.    In addition to publishing the information as required in subsections a.

          d.   d.   The division shall ensure that the Internet website is updated whenever a new filming location is identified by the commission.  The division may make changes to the website based on information provided by the public and by private entities that have provided information on the State’s filming locations through an electronic submission form made available by the division on its Internet website pursuant to subsection d.1[d.] b.1 of section 1 of P.L.    , c.   (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).         3.    This act shall take effect 60 days after the date of enactment.

of section 1 of P.L.    , c.   (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).         3.    This act shall take effect 60 days after the date of enactment.

    STATEMENT        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 the 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 owned or on property owned by the State and the division may coordinate with owners of private property to erect filming markers on the 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.