Bill Text: NJ S1365 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Reduces State hotel and motel occupancy fee from five to two percent starting FY2019; preserves dedication.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-01 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S1365 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S1365-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Reduces State hotel and motel occupancy fee from five to two percent starting FY2019; preserves dedication.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act reducing the State hotel and motel occupancy fee and amending P.L.2003, c.114.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. In addition to any other tax, assessment or use fee authorized by law, there is imposed and shall be paid a hotel and motel occupancy fee of 7% for occupancies on and after August 1, 2003 but before July 1, 2004, [and] of 5% for occupancies on and after July 1, 2004 but before July 1, 2018, and of 2% for occupancies on and after July 1, 2018, upon the rent for every occupancy of a room or rooms in a hotel subject to taxation pursuant to subsection (d) of section 3 of P.L.1966, c.30 (C:54:32B-3), which every person required to collect tax shall collect from the customer when collecting the rent to which it applies; provided however, that on and after the tenth day following a certification by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury pursuant to subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-2), no such fee shall be paid or collected; and provided further that:
(1) the combined rates of the fee imposed under this section, plus the tax imposed under the "Sales and Use Tax Act", P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.), plus any tax imposed under P.L.1947, c.71 (C.40:48-8.15 et seq.), shall not exceed a total rate of 14% on or before December 31, 2016, 13.875% on and after January 1, 2017 but before January 1, 2018, and 13.625% on and after January 1, 2018, and to the extent that the total combined rate of taxation for the listed fees and taxes would exceed 14% on or before December 31, 2016, 13.875% on and after January 1, 2017 but before January 1, 2018, and 13.625% on and after January 1, 2018, the fee imposed under this section shall be reduced so that the total combined rate equals 14% on or before December 31, 2016, 13.875% on and after January 1, 2017 but before January 1, 2018, and 13.625% on and after January 1, 2018;
(2) the combined rates of the fee imposed under this section, plus the tax imposed under the "Sales and Use Tax Act", P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.), plus any tax and assessment imposed under section 4 of P.L.1992, c.165 (C.40:54D-4), shall not exceed a total rate of 14% on or before December 31, 2016, 13.875% on and after January 1, 2017 but before January 1, 2018, and 13.625% on and after January 1, 2018, and to the extent that the total combined rate of taxation for the listed fees and taxes would exceed 14% on or before December 31, 2016, 13.875% on and after January 1, 2017 but before January 1, 2018, and 13.625% on and after January 1, 2018, the fee imposed under this section shall be reduced so that the total combined rate equals 14% on or before December 31, 2016, 13.875% on and after January 1, 2017 but before January 1, 2018, and 13.625% on and after January 1, 2018; and
(3) the fee imposed under this section shall be at the rate of 1% in a city in which the tax authorized under P.L.1981, c.77 (C.40:48E-1 et seq.) is imposed.
b. The hotel and motel occupancy fee imposed by subsection a. of this section shall not be imposed on the rent for an occupancy if the purchaser, user or consumer is an entity exempt from the tax imposed on an occupancy under the "Sales and Use Tax Act" pursuant to subsection (a) of section 9 of P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-9).
c. Terms used in this section shall have the meaning given those terms pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-2).
(cf: P.L.2016, c.57, s.6)
2. Section 2 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-2) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. The Director of the Division of Taxation shall collect and administer the fee imposed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1). The fees collected shall be deposited to the General Fund, and shall be allocated as follows:
(1) of the fees collected for occupancies during State Fiscal Year 2004: $16,000,000 shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for cultural projects; $2,700,000 shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey Historical Commission for the purposes of subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1999, c.131 (C.18A:73-22.3); $9,000,000 shall be allocated for appropriation to the [New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission] Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State for tourism advertising and promotion; and $500,000 shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey Cultural Trust; and
(2) of the fees collected for occupancies during or after State Fiscal Year 2005 [and thereafter] but before Fiscal Year 2017: 22.68 percent shall be annually allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for cultural projects, provided that the amount allocated shall not be less than $22,680,000; 3.84 percent shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey Historical Commission for the purposes of subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1999, c.131 (C.18A:73-22.3), provided that the amount allocated shall not be less than $3,840,000; 12.76 percent shall be allocated for appropriation to the [New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission] Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State for tourism advertising and promotion, provided that the amount allocated shall not be less than $12,760,000; and .72 percent shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey Cultural Trust, provided that the amount allocated shall not be less than $720,000.
(3) of the fees collected for occupancies during State Fiscal Year 2019 and thereafter: 56.7 percent shall be annually allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for cultural projects; 9.6 percent shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey Historical Commission for the purposes of subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1999, c.131 (C.18A:73-22.3); 31.9 percent shall be allocated for appropriation to the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State for tourism advertising and promotion; and 1.8 percent shall be allocated for appropriation to the New Jersey Cultural Trust.
b. (1) In carrying out the provisions of section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1) and this section, the director shall have all of the powers and authority granted in P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.). The tax shall be filed and paid in a manner prescribed by the Director of the Division of Taxation. The director shall promulgate such rules and regulations as the director determines are necessary to effectuate the provisions of section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1) and this section.
(2) Each person required to collect the hotel and motel occupancy fee shall be personally liable for the fee imposed, collected, or required to be paid, collected, or remitted under section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1). Any such person shall have the same right in respect to collecting the fee from that person's customer or in respect to non-payment of the fee by the customer as if the fee were a part of the purchase price of the occupancy or rent, as the case may be, and payable at the same time; provided however, that the director shall be joined as a party in any action or proceeding brought to collect the fee.
For purposes of this paragraph, "person" includes: an individual, partnership, corporation, or an officer, director, stockholder, or employee of a corporation, or a member or employee of a partnership, who as such officer, director, stockholder, employee, or member is under the duty to perform the act in respect of which the violation occurs.
c. The annual appropriations act for each State Fiscal Year, commencing with fiscal year 2005, shall appropriate and distribute during that fiscal year amounts not less than the amounts otherwise specified for State Fiscal Year 2004 in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section for the purposes specified in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section.
d. If the provisions of subsection c. of this section are not met on the effective date of an annual appropriations act for the State fiscal year, or if an amendment or supplement to an annual appropriations act for the State fiscal year should violate the provisions of subsection c. of this section, the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury shall, not later than five days after the enactment of the annual appropriations act, or an amendment or supplement thereto, that violates the provisions of subsection c. of this section, certify to the Director of the Division of Taxation that the requirements of subsection c. of this section have not been met.
e. The Director of the Division of Taxation shall, no later than five days after certification by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury pursuant to subsection d. of this section that the provisions of subsection c. of this section have not been met or have been violated by an amendment or supplement to the annual appropriations act, notify each person required to collect tax of the certification and that the fee imposed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1) shall no longer be paid or collected.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.102, s.4)
3. This act shall take effect immediately and apply to State Fiscal Years beginning on or after July 1, 2018.
STATEMENT
This bill reduces the State hotel and motel occupancy fee from five to two percent starting on July 1, 2018, but maintains the municipal option of a hotel and motel occupancy tax as well as the earmarked statutory funding for cultural, historical, and tourism development. The rate reduction targets that part of the fee that is currently supporting the general fund. The two percent rate corresponds to the current statutory share of the hotel and motel occupancy fee that supports the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, and the New Jersey Cultural Trust.
