I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1448
To improve the control of outdoor advertising in areas adjacent to the Inter-
state System, the National Highway System, and certain other federally
assisted highways, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 24, 1997
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To improve the control of outdoor advertising in areas adja-
cent to the Interstate System, the National Highway
System, and certain other federally assisted highways,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Visual Pollution Re-
duction Act’’.
SEC. 2. CONTROL OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING.
Section 131 of title 23, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) by striking ‘‘(d) In’’ and inserting the
following:
‘‘(d) INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In’’;
(B) in the first sentence of paragraph (1)
(as so designated), by striking ‘‘, or in un-
zoned’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Sec-
retary’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON NEW SIGNS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to this para-
graph, no new sign, display, or device may be
erected under paragraph (1) after the date of
enactment of this paragraph.
‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY OF JUST COMPENSA-
TION REQUIREMENTS.—Except as provided in
subparagraph (C), just compensation under
subsection (g) shall not be paid upon the re-
moval of any sign, display, or device lawfully
erected under State law after the date of enact-
ment of this paragraph.
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause
(ii), a State may permit a person, at the
person’s option, to erect in the State a
sign, display, or device in accordance with
the requirements of paragraph (1) upon
removal without payment of just com-
pensation under subsection (g) of a sign,
display, or device lawfully erected under
this subsection.
‘‘(ii) STATEWIDE
LIMITATION.—The
total number of signs, displays, and devices
erected and maintained under this sub-
section in a State shall not exceed the total
number of signs, displays, and devices law-
fully erected before the date of enactment
of this paragraph under this subsection in
the State and in existence on that date.’’;
(2) in the first sentence of subsection (g), by
striking ‘‘and not permitted under subsection (c) of
this section, whether or not removed pursuant to or
because of this section’’ and inserting ‘‘and removed
under this section’’;
(3) in subsection (k), by striking ‘‘Subject to
compliance with subsection (g) of this section for the
payment of just compensation, nothing’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Nothing’’;
(4) by redesignating subsection (t) as sub-
section (v); and
(5) by inserting after subsection (s) the follow-
ing:
‘‘(t) STATE INVENTORY OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
SIGNS, DISPLAYS, AND DEVICES.—
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—For the purpose of sub-
section (b), a State shall not be considered to have
made provision for effective control of the erection
and maintenance of outdoor advertising signs, dis-
plays, and devices unless the State maintains, and
annually submits to the Secretary, an inventory of
all outdoor advertising signs, displays, and devices in
the State for which the effective control is required
under this section, including a specification of
whether each sign, display, or device is illegal, non-
conforming, or conforming under State law.
‘‘(2) STATE SCENIC BYWAYS.—The State inven-
tory required by paragraph (1) shall identify each
sign, display, or device described in paragraph (1)
that is located along a highway on the Interstate
System or Federal-aid primary system designated as
a scenic byway under a program of the State de-
scribed in subsection (s).