A4824

An Act establishing the Home Sharing Evaluation Task Force.

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

1. a. There is established the Home Sharing Evaluation Task Force. The purpose of the task force shall be to study, evaluate, and assess both the impact and potential benefits of the home sharing economy on residential neighborhoods and how the State may respond to this growing economy. The home sharing economy refers to situations where people share their entire home, or portions of it (internal or external), in exchange for compensation by using a home sharing network.

b. The task force shall consist of 10 members, as follows:

(1) three members shall represent the interests of the home sharing economy industry, each of whom shall be appointed by the Governor;

(2) three public members, each of whom shall be appointed by the Governor; and

(3) four municipal officials each of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, at least three of which shall be mayors representing the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. To the extent possible, the appointment of municipal officials shall represent a cross section of urban, suburban, and rural municipalities.

The Governor shall appoint the members of the task force upon the recommendations of the Senate President and the Speaker of the General Assembly.

c. The appointments to the task force shall be made within 90 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.

d. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of all its members. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force. The task force may call to its assistance and avail itself of the services and assistance of any officials and employees of the Department of Community Affairs as it may require and as may be available to it for that purpose.

e. The task force shall study, evaluate, and assess the impact of the home sharing economy on residential neighborhoods. The task force shall consider the variety of home sharing economy options that exist, their differences, and each options’ impact on a community. The task force shall assess how the State may respond to this growing economy.

f. The task force shall issue a final report detailing its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature, no later than six months after the organization of the task force. The report shall be posted on a prominent location on the Internet website of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs.

2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the task force issues its final report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Home Sharing Evaluation Task Force (task force), the purpose of which is to study, evaluate, and assess both the impact and potential benefits of the home sharing economy on residential neighborhoods and how the State may respond to this growing economy. The home sharing economy refers to situations where people share their entire home or portions of it (internal or external) in exchange for compensation by using a home sharing network. Some home sharing network examples are Airbnb, Flipkey, HomeAway, and VRBO.

The task force will consist of the following 10 members: three members who represent the interests of the home sharing economy industry; three public members; and four municipal officials, three of whom must be mayors, one each from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State.

Under the bill, it is the duty of the task force to study, evaluate, and assess the impact of the home sharing economy on residential neighborhoods and how the State may respond to this economy. Under the bill, the task force is required to issue a final report detailing its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature. The report is to be posted in a prominent location on the Internet website of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs.

The provisions of the bill will take effect immediately and expire 30 days after the task force issues its final report.