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<section article="gtr" article_name="Transportation" number="8-755" title_number="8" title_name="Highways" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Regulation of Outdoor Advertising">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Department” means the Department of Commerce.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Program” means the Tourist Area and Corridor Signage Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a Tourist Area and Corridor Signage Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purpose of the Program is to create a system of supplemental guide signs to direct motorists to eligible individual attractions by directing the motorists first to groups of attractions.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Administration, in collaboration with the Department, shall administer the Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Administration and the Department shall develop standards and procedures for determining the eligibility of an attraction for a sign.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the Department provides an initial approval of an attraction’s application based on the criteria established under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the Department, in coordination with the requesting attraction, shall prepare a signage plan and submit the signage plan to the Administration for review.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Administration shall review the signage plan for compliance with federal, State, and local laws and regulations and right–of–way laws and regulations.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>In reviewing a signage plan, the Administration may consult with other State agencies and offices.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <level label="1">
          <text>As part of the review required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the Administration shall investigate whether there is space available at the proposed site along the State highway for a sign for the attraction.</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Approval of a signage plan is subject to space availability based on the Administration’s regulations and requirements.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <level label="1">
          <text>If the Administration approves a signage plan and issues a required permit to the attraction, the attraction shall design, fabricate, and install the signs in the signage plan using standards and specifications approved by the Administration.</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The attraction shall bear all costs for the design, fabrication, and installation of the signs in the signage plan.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>An attraction that applies for a sign shall pay an amount the Administration considers appropriate for the review of each sign included in the signage plan and the issuance of all required permits.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Administration may charge an attraction a reasonable annual administrative fee to administer and manage the Program for the duration that each sign in the signage plan is installed.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>An attraction’s sign may be removed by the Administration if the attraction fails to pay the annual administrative fee.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The attraction shall be responsible for maintaining, removing, and replacing signs at the direction of the Administration if an existing approved sign is determined to be noncompliant with Program requirements for reasons including damage, fading, or safety concerns.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The Administration may remove any attraction sign that does not comply with the requirements of the Program.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>An attraction whose sign is removed under subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph shall resubmit new or replacement signage for review and approval.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Administration may amend the Program if the Administration determines that the Program may result in a sanction by the Federal Highway Administration, including a decrease in federal funds provided to the State for highway use.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Administration shall notify the following legislative committees at least 30 days before amending the Program to avoid a sanction:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Senate Finance Committee;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The House Environment and Transportation Committee; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The House Appropriations Committee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>To be eligible for signage, an attraction may not, based on a determination by the Administration and the Department, already be well–signed on a Tourist Area Corridor.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An attraction may not bring reputational harm to the State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a sign developed under the Program may include only the following elements:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The name of the attraction;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A directional arrow to guide individuals to the attraction; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The approximate mileage to the attraction from the location of the sign.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A sign may include a generic symbol used to represent a category of attractions identified by the Department if, on the request of the Department, the Administration determines that there is a generic symbol approved for use in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
