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<section article="gtr" article_name="Transportation" number="8-726" title_number="8" title_name="Highways" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Regulation of Outdoor Advertising">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The General Assembly finds and declares that, except for on premise advertising, outdoor advertising along and adjacent to the federal-aid primary system of highways is a commercial use of these highways that should be regulated to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Prevent unreasonable distraction of the drivers of motor vehicles;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Prevent confusion as to traffic lights, signs, controls, or signals, and prevent interference with the effectiveness of traffic regulations;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Promote the prosperity, economic well-being, health, safety, morals, order, convenience, and general welfare of this State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Promote the enjoyment of travel on and protection of the public investment in highways in this State; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Preserve and enhance the natural scenic beauty or esthetic features and values of these highways and their adjacent areas.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>It is a policy of this State that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The erection and maintenance of outdoor advertising along the rights-of-way of the federal-aid primary system of highways in this State should be limited and regulated in accordance with this part and the rules and regulations adopted by the Administration under it; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>All outdoor advertising that does not meet the requirements of this part and these rules and regulations is not in the public interest.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>By enacting this part, the General Assembly intends to provide a statutory basis for the regulation of outdoor advertising consistent with the public policy for areas adjacent to federal-aid primary highways, as declared by the Congress in the federal Highway Beautification Act of 1965 and the Federal-Aid Highway Amendment of 1974.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>This part shall be liberally construed to carry out the legislative policy stated in this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
