The Federal Highway Administration publishes the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which is incorporated by reference into federal law, to set the national standard for all traffic control devices installed on any street, highway, or bicycle trail open to public travel. Federal law authorizes the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as a supplement to the federal manual, and requires it to be in substantial conformance with the federal manual. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, directional signs on freeways indicating the location of the freeway off ramp which may be used to reach a public or private postsecondary education institution having an enrollment of either 1,000 or more full-time students or the equivalent in part-time students, at the request of the institution.

Existing law establishes the California School for the Deaf, Northern California, and the California School for the Deaf, Southern California, known collectively as the California School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Blind, as the state special schools, under the administration of the State Department of Education.

This bill would require the Department of Transportation, in the next revision of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, to allow supplemental destination signs for a state special school that is located within 5 miles of the highway, regardless of whether the state special school is located in a major metropolitan area, urbanized area, or rural area.