1-1 By: Sims, Ratliff S.B. No. 882
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 2, 1995; March 6, 1995, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
1-4 April 11, 1995, reported favorably, as amended, by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 9, Nays 4; April 11, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Armbrister
1-7 Amend S.B. No. 882 as follows:
1-8 (1) Add the following new Subdivisions (2), (3), (5), and
1-9 (6) to Subsection (a) of SECTION 1 and renumber existing
1-10 Subdivision (2) on lines 18-22, page 1 (committee printing page 2,
1-11 lines 2-6), as Subdivision (4):
1-12 (2) "Eligible urban highway" means an interstate
1-13 highway that is located inside an urbanized area with a population
1-14 of 200,000 or more.
1-15 (3) "Information logo sign" means a specific
1-16 information logo sign or a major shopping area guide sign.
1-17 (5) "Major shopping area guide sign" means a
1-18 rectangular guide sign panel imprinted with the name of a major
1-19 shopping area, as it is commonly known to the public, and
1-20 containing directional information to such major shopping area.
1-21 (6) "Major shopping area" means a geographic area
1-22 that:
1-23 (A) consists of 30 acres or more of land; and
1-24 (B) includes an enclosed retail shopping mall
1-25 that contains 1,000,000 square feet or more of gross building area.
1-26 (2) Insert the following as Subsections (n) and (o),
1-27 renumber Subsection (n) on lines 8-12, page 4 (committee printing
1-28 page 2, line 70 through page 3, line 4), as Subsection (p) and
1-29 renumber Subsection (o) on lines 13-15, page 4 (committee printing
1-30 page 3, lines 5-7), as Subsection (q):
1-31 (n) Unless the commission determines there is a conflict
1-32 with federal law, the commission shall establish a program that
1-33 allows the erection and maintenance of major shopping area guide
1-34 signs at appropriate locations along eligible urban highways. The
1-35 commission shall adopt rules regulating the content, composition,
1-36 placement, erection, and maintenance of major shopping area guide
1-37 signs and supports within eligible urban highway rights-of-way;
1-38 however, a major shopping area shall be entitled to have its name
1-39 displayed on major shopping area guide signs if it is located not
1-40 farther than three miles from an interchange on an eligible urban
1-41 highway. A major shopping area that has its name displayed on a
1-42 major shopping area guide sign shall reimburse the commission for
1-43 all costs associated with the composition, placement, erection, and
1-44 maintenance of the sign.
1-45 (o) Major shopping area guide signs may be included as part
1-46 of exit direction signs, advance guide signs, and supplemental
1-47 guide signs and shall include guide signs for both directions of
1-48 traffic on an eligible urban highway. Subsections (f), (g), (h),
1-49 and (i) of this section do not apply to major shopping area guide
1-50 signs.
1-51 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-52 AN ACT
1-53 relating to the placement of specific information logo signs on
1-54 certain public highways.
1-55 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-56 SECTION 1. Section 4.07, Chapter 741, Acts of the 67th
1-57 Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 4477-9a, Vernon's Texas
1-58 Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c),
1-59 (e), (k), (l), (m), and (n) and by adding Subsection (o) to read as
1-60 follows:
1-61 (a) In this section:<,>
1-62 (1) "Eligible highway" means a highway that:
1-63 (A) is located outside an urbanized area with a
1-64 population of 50,000 or more; and
1-65 (B) qualifies for a maximum speed limit of 65
1-66 miles per hour under 23 U.S.C. Section 154 or, if that law is
1-67 repealed, qualified for a maximum speed limit of 65 miles per hour
1-68 on the day before the effective date of the repeal.
2-1 (2) "Specific <"specific> information logo sign" means
2-2 a rectangular sign panel imprinted with the words "GAS," "FOOD,"
2-3 "LODGING," or "CAMPING," or with a combination of those words, and
2-4 the specific brand names of commercial establishments offering
2-5 those services.
2-6 (b) The commission shall contract with a person, firm,
2-7 group, or association in the State of Texas to erect and maintain
2-8 specific information logo signs <that give specific information of
2-9 interest to the travelling public, including specific brand names,>
2-10 at appropriate locations along an eligible highway <interstate
2-11 highways in each county with a population less than 20,000>.
2-12 (c) The commission shall:
2-13 (1) regulate the content, composition, placement,
2-14 erection, and maintenance of specific information logo signs and
2-15 supports within eligible <interstate> highway rights-of-way; and
2-16 (2) adopt rules necessary to administer and enforce
2-17 this section.
2-18 (e) To be eligible to have its name displayed on a specific
2-19 information logo sign, a commercial establishment must provide gas,
2-20 food, lodging, or camping and be located not farther than three
2-21 miles from an interchange on an eligible <interstate> highway. If
2-22 no service participating or willing to participate in the specific
2-23 information logo sign program is located within three miles of an
2-24 interchange, the commission may grant permits for commercial
2-25 establishments located not farther than:
2-26 (1) six miles from the interchange;
2-27 (2) nine miles from the interchange if no service
2-28 participating or willing to participate in the program is located
2-29 six miles from the interchange;
2-30 (3) 12 miles from the interchange if no service
2-31 participating or willing to participate in the program is located
2-32 within nine miles of the interchange; or
2-33 (4) 15 miles from the interchange if no service
2-34 participating or willing to participate in the program is located
2-35 within 12 miles of the interchange <not farther than 15 miles from
2-36 the interchange>.
2-37 (k) A specific information logo sign may not:
2-38 (1) contain a message, symbol, or trademark that
2-39 resembles an official traffic control device; or
2-40 (2) <have vertical spacing between establishment names
2-41 that exceeds eight inches or horizontal spacing between
2-42 establishment names that exceeds 12 inches;>
2-43 <(3)> contain more than six <four> establishment names
2-44 for each <service on one> sign panel<; or>
2-45 <(4) contain logos for more than one service on a sign
2-46 panel except in an area where not more than two qualified
2-47 establishments are available for a service, in which event a sign
2-48 panel may contain logos for two services>.
2-49 (l) The contractor shall place a specific information logo
2-50 so that:
2-51 (1) the sign is at least 800 feet from the previous
2-52 interchange and at least 800 feet from the exit direction sign at
2-53 the interchange from which the services are available;
2-54 (2) there are at least 800 feet between two signs
2-55 having the same legend, but the signs are not excessively spaced;
2-56 and
2-57 (3) a motorist, after following the sign, can
2-58 conveniently reenter the highway and continue in the original
2-59 direction of travel<; and>
2-60 <(4) if the service facilities are not visible from a
2-61 single-exit interchange ramp terminal, the signs are placed along
2-62 the ramp or at the ramp terminal>.
2-63 (m) A specific information logo sign that is placed along a
2-64 ramp or at a ramp terminal must be a duplicate of the corresponding
2-65 establishment logo sign except that the ramp sign must be smaller
2-66 <and omit the service information>. A ramp sign shall include the
2-67 distance to the commercial establishment and directional arrows
2-68 instead of directions written in words.
2-69 (n) The commission shall remit money received under this
2-70 section to the state treasurer for deposit into the state highway
3-1 fund. Sections 403.094(h) and 403.095, Government Code, do not
3-2 apply to funds deposited into the state highway fund under this
3-3 subsection.
3-4 (o) If the service facilities are not visible from an
3-5 interchange ramp terminal, additional signs may be placed along the
3-6 ramp or at the ramp terminal.
3-7 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
3-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-13 passage, and it is so enacted.
3-14 * * * * *