The Outdoor Advertising Act provides for the regulation by the Department of Transportation of advertising displays, as defined, within view of public highways. The act exempts from its provisions certain advertising displays that advertise the business conducted, services rendered, or goods produced or sold on the property upon which the display is placed, as specified. The act also exempts from its provisions specified advertising displays at an arena located on public land with a capacity of 5,000 seats or more that provides a permanent venue for professional sports, and that advertises products, goods, or services that are or will be sold on the premises of the arena on a regular basis pursuant to a specified agreement.

This bill would recast the arena advertising exception to exempt from the act specified advertising displays authorized by local ordinance at the premises of an arena, defined as a venue with a capacity of 15,000 seats or more that is capable of providing a permanent venue for professional sports, or a contiguous development project or district encompassing or adjacent to the venue that extends not more than 1,000 feet from a structure connected to the venue, as specified. These advertising displays would be authorized to advertise any products, goods, or services sold within that area on a regular basis, or marketed or promoted in that area pursuant to a sponsorship marketing plan, as defined, except tobacco, firearms, or sexually explicit material, if specified conditions are met. The bill would additionally authorize, under similar conditions, up to 2 advertising displays that are not required to comply with the act, which the bill would require to be visible when approaching offramps from the interstate, primary, or state highways used to access the premises of an arena. The bill would require that certain conditions apply if the advertising display authorized by the bill is a message center display. The bill would require that if an advertising display is subject to a notice from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, or other applicable federal agency to the state that the operation of that display will result in the reduction of federal funds, as provided, authorization of the display would cease 60 days after the state notifies the display owner of the receipt of the federal notice, and would require the display owner to remove all advertising copy within that time. The bill would provide for the imposition of a civil fine of $10,000 per day by the department on the owner for failure to remove advertising copy. The bill would require the local agency to have primary responsibility for enforcing its ordinance and these provisions, and to indemnify the state Department of Transportation for all costs incurred for failing to ensure that compliance, as specified. The bill would prohibit, among other things, the state Department of Transportation from assuming any liability in connection with cessation of operation or removal of an advertising display. In addition, the bill would require an advertising display lawfully erected on or before December 31, 2013, in conformity with the law relating to the exemption for advertising displays on arenas, as it existed on that date, to remain authorized, subject to the terms of that law.