52:27H-62 Definitions.

3. As used in this act:

a. "Enterprise zone" or "zone" means an urban enterprise zone designated by the authority pursuant to this act;

b. "Authority" means the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority created by this act;

c. "Qualified business" means any entity authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey which, at the time of designation as an enterprise zone or a UEZ-impacted business district, is engaged in the active conduct of a trade or business in that zone or district; or an entity which, after that designation but during the designation period, becomes newly engaged in the active conduct of a trade or business in that zone or district and has at least 25% of its full-time employees employed at a business location in the zone or district, meeting one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Residents within the zone, the district, within another zone or within a qualifying municipality; or

(2) Unemployed for at least six months prior to being hired and residing in New Jersey, and recipients of New Jersey public assistance programs for at least six months prior to being hired, or either of the aforesaid; or

(3) Determined to be low income individuals pursuant to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Pub.L.105-220 (29 U.S.C. s.2811);

Approval as a qualified business shall be conditional upon meeting all outstanding tax obligations, and may be withdrawn by the authority if a business is continually delinquent in meeting its tax obligations;

d. "Qualifying municipality" means any municipality in which there was, in the last full calendar year immediately preceding the year in which application for enterprise zone designation is submitted pursuant to section 14 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-73), an annual average of at least 2,000 unemployed persons, and in which the municipal average annual unemployment rate for that year exceeded the State average annual unemployment rate; except that any municipality which qualifies for State aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) shall qualify if its municipal average annual unemployment rate for that year exceeded the State average annual unemployment rate. The annual average of unemployed persons and the average annual unemployment rates shall be estimated for the relevant calendar year by the Office of Labor Planning and Analysis of the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In addition to those municipalities that qualify pursuant to the criteria set forth above, that municipality accorded priority designation pursuant to subsection e. of section 7 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-66), those municipalities set forth in paragraph (7), paragraph (8) of section 3 of P.L.1995, c.382 (C.52:27H-66.1), and paragraph (9) of section 3 of P.L.1995, c.382 as amended by section 3 of P.L.2004, c.75 (C.52:27H-66.1), and the municipalities in which the three additional enterprise zones, including the joint enterprise zone, are to be designated pursuant to criteria according priority consideration for designation of the zones pursuant to section 12 of P.L.2001, c.347 (C.52:27H-66.7) shall be deemed qualifying municipalities;

e. "Public assistance" means income maintenance funds administered by the Department of Human Services or by a county welfare agency;

f. "Zone development corporation" means a nonprofit corporation or association created or designated by the governing body of a qualifying municipality to formulate and propose a preliminary zone development plan pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-68) and to prepare, monitor, administer and implement the zone development plan;

g. "Zone development plan" means a plan adopted by the governing body of a qualifying municipality for the development of an enterprise zone therein, and for the direction and coordination of activities of the municipality, zone businesses and community organizations within the enterprise zone toward the economic betterment of the residents of the zone and the municipality;

h. "Zone neighborhood association" means a corporation or association of persons who either are residents of, or have their principal place of employment in, a municipality in which an enterprise zone has been designated pursuant to this act; which is organized under the provisions of Title 15 of the Revised Statutes or Title 15A of the New Jersey Statutes; and which has for its principal purpose the encouragement and support of community activities within, or on behalf of, the zone so as to (1) stimulate economic activity, (2) increase or preserve residential amenities, or (3) otherwise encourage community cooperation in achieving the goals of the zone development plan;

i. "Enterprise zone assistance fund" or "assistance fund" means the fund created by section 29 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-88); and

j. "UEZ-impacted business district" or "district" means an economically-distressed business district classified by the authority as having been negatively impacted by two or more adjacent urban enterprise zones in which 50% less sales tax is collected pursuant to section 21 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-80).

L.1983,c.303,s.3; amended 1988, c.93, s.1; 1993, c.367, s.1; 1995, c.382, s.2; 2001, c.347, s.2; 2003, c.285, s.1; 2004, c.75, s.1; 2006, c.34, s.3.