BILLBOARD REGULATIONS - S.B. 445 (S-4): FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 445 (Substitute S-4 as reported)

Sponsor: Senator Leon Stille

Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Highway Advertising Act to do the following:

-- Require a sign visible from more than one State highway or public road to comply with outdoor advertising requirements for each highway and road from which the sign was visible.

-- Increase from $5 to $100 the permit fee for the first year, and establish a $25 renewal fee for signs up to 300 square feet and $40 for signs greater than 300 square feet.

-- Establish a felony penalty for a person who destroyed trees or shrubs within a highway right-of-way to make a proposed or existing sign more visible.

-- Prohibit signs erected after the bill took effect from being stacked one on top of each other, and prohibit existing signs or sign structures from being modified to provide a stacked sign or structure.

-- Increase the distances required between signs located along certain highways.

-- Require the Department of Transportation to conduct a hearing to confirm that a sign was abandoned, that due process had been observed, and that the sign could be removed without payment of compensation and at the owner's expense.

-- Describe additional activities, facilities, and structures that would not be considered commercial or industrial, for sign control purposes.

-- Specify a legislative intent that the State fund a study to analyze the bill's effect and make recommendations of any additional changes to the Act.

MCL 252.302 - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

Based on FY 1997-98 data, the Department of Transportation received $91,138 from the current $5 permit charge. The amount of revenue generated by the new fees would depend on the number and size of the signs. Based on the current number of permits issued, annual revenue would be approximately $700,000. Costs would depend on the number of signs removed under the Act and the number of violations.

Date Completed: 12-1-98 - Fiscal Analyst: B. Bowerman

floor\sb445 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.