EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1038*
HOUSE BILL 1038
R1 3lr1450
CF SB 734
By: Delegates Solomon, Foley, Fraser–Hidalgo, Kaiser, Kaufman, Mireku–North,
Qi, Queen, Shetty, and Wells
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2023
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Transportation – Highways – Tourist Area and Corridor Signage Program 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Tourist Area and Corridor Signage Program; requiring 3
the State Highway Administration, in collaboration with the Department of 4
Commerce, to administer the program and establish an Eligibility Committee to 5
review attraction applications; requiring the Administration to conduct a certain 6
investigation on signing feasibility and prepare a signing plan if the Eligibility 7
Committee approves an attraction’s application; requiring the Department of 8
Commerce to review a signing plan for approval; requiring the Administration to 9
install each sign included in an approved signing plan; and generally relating to the 10
Tourist Area and Corridor Signage Program. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Transportation 13
Section 8–755 to be under the new part “Part VIII. Tourist Area and Corridor 14
Signage Program” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Transportation 20
8–753. RESERVED. 21
8–754. RESERVED. 22
PART VIII. TOURIST AREA AND CORRIDOR SIGNAGE PROGRAM. 23 2 HOUSE BILL 1038
8–755. 1
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND TOURIST AREA AND CORRIDOR SIGNAGE 2
PROGRAM. 3
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO CREATE A SYSTEM OF 4
SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDE S IGNS TO DIRECT MOTOR ISTS TO ELIGIBLE IND IVIDUAL 5
ATTRACTIONS BY DIREC TING THE MOTORISTS F IRST TO GROUPS OF AT TRACTIONS. 6
(C) THE ADMINISTRATION , IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT 7
OF COMMERCE, SHALL: 8
(1) ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; AND 9
(2) ESTABLISH AN ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW A TTRACTION 10
APPLICATIONS. 11
(D) (1) (I) THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE SHALL DEVELOP 12
STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES FOR DETER MINING THE ELIGIBILI TY OF AN 13
ATTRACTION FOR SIGNI NG. 14
(II) IF THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE APPROVES AN 15
ATTRACTION’S APPLICATION, THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL INVESTIGATE WHETHER 16
THERE IS SPACE AVAIL ABLE TO SIGN FOR THE ATTR ACTION. 17
(III) SIGNING IS SUBJECT TO SPACE AVAILABILITY B ASED ON 18
ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AND REQU IREMENTS. 19
(2) (I) IF THE ADMINISTRATION DETERM INES THAT SIGNING IS 20
FEASIBLE, THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL PREPARE A SIGNING PL AN FOR THE 21
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO REVIEW. 22
(II) IN REVIEWING A SIGNIN G PLAN, THE DEPARTMENT OF 23
COMMERCE MAY CONSULT WITH OTH ER STATE AGENCIES AND OF FICES. 24
(3) (I) IF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE APPROVES A SIGNING 25
PLAN, THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL INSTALL EACH SIGN INCLUDED I N THE SIGNING 26
PLAN. 27
(II) AN APPLICANT AND THE PROGRAM SHALL SHARE E QUALLY 28
THE COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING AND INSTALLING EACH SIGN INCLUDED IN A SIGNING 29
PLAN. 30 HOUSE BILL 1038 3
(E) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 1
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR S IGNING, AN ATTRACTION SHALL , AT A MINIMUM: 2
(I) PROVIDE RECREATIONAL , HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, OR 3
LEISURE ACTIVITIES T O THE PUBLIC; 4
(II) BE PRIMARILY A NONRET AIL ATTRACTION , WITH NOT MORE 5
THAN 20% OF THE INTERIOR SQUA RE FOOTAGE OF THE ATTRACTION DEVOTED TO 6
RETAIL SALES; 7
(III) BE OPEN TO RANDOM DAI LY VISITATION WITHOU T 8
ADVANCED RESERVATIONS OR A REQUIRED EXTENDED ATTENDANCE ; 9
(IV) IN DESIGNATED URBAN A REAS, MEET MINIMUM VISITOR 10
ATTENDANCE MEASURES ESTABLISHED BY THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE; 11
(V) BE OPEN AT LEAST: 12
1. 5 HOURS PER DAY ; 13
2. 4 DAYS PER WEEK , INCLUDING SATURDAY OR 14
SUNDAY; 15
3. 25 HOURS PER WEEK ; AND 16
4. 8 MONTHS EACH YEAR ; 17
(VI) 1. PUBLISH A BROCHURE OR HOST A WEBSITE THAT 18
PROVIDES THE ATTRACTION ’S HOURS OF OPERATION ; AND 19
2. POST THE HOURS OF OPERATI ON AT THE 20
ATTRACTION LOCATION , CONSISTENT WITH THE HOURS OF OPERATION P UBLISHED 21
IN ITS BROCHURE OR APPEARIN G ON ITS WEBSITE; 22
(VII) PROVIDE PUBLIC ACCESS TO ONSITE RESTROOMS , WATER, 23
TELEPHONES , AND PARKING; 24
(VIII) PROVIDE AN INTERPRETE R OR GUIDE , PRINTED 25
SELF–GUIDED TOUR , OR INTERPRETATIVE SI GNING DURING ALL HOU RS OF 26
OPERATION; AND 27
4 HOUSE BILL 1038
(IX) MEET FEDERAL AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT 1
REQUIREMENTS FOR ACC ESSIBILITY. 2
(2) (I) THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE MAY APPROVE AN 3
ATTRACTION THAT DOES NOT MEET A LL OF THE REQUIREMEN TS UNDER 4
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION IF THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE 5
DETERMINES THAT THE ATTRACTION IS IMPORTANT TO THE STATE OR LOCAL 6
ECONOMY. 7
(II) A DESTINATION APPROVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 8
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH SH ALL BE LISTED ON THE PROGRAM’S 9
WEBSITE. 10
(III) THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE MAY WAIVE T HE 11
REQUIREMENT THAT AN ATTRACTION BE OPEN AT LEAST 8 MONTHS EACH YEAR FOR 12
SEASONAL ATTRACTIONS . 13
(F) (1) TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SIGNING, AN ATTRACTION MAY NO T, BASED 14
ON A DETERMINATION B Y THE ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE, ALREADY BE 15
WELL–SIGNED ON A TOURIST AREA CORRIDOR. 16
(2) THE FOLLOWING CATEGOR IES OF ATTRACTIONS A RE ELIGIBLE 17
FOR SIGNING WITH GEN ERIC SYMBOLS APPROVE D FOR USE: 18
(I) VISITOR CENTERS ; 19
(II) GOLF COURSES; 20
(III) ANTIQUES ROWS; 21
(IV) MARINAS; 22
(V) WINERIES; 23
(VI) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION, 24
BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES ; AND 25
(VII) ANY ADDITIONAL CATEGO RY IDENTIFIED BY THE 26
ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE. 27
(3) THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 28
SHALL DETERMINE THE GENERIC SYMBOL S AND CRITERIA FOR BRE WERY AND 29 HOUSE BILL 1038 5
DISTILLERY ELIGIBILITY IN CONSULTATION WITH A GEOGRAPHICALL Y DIVERSE SET 1
OF COMMUNITY STAKEHO LDERS, INCLUDING: 2
(I) STATE LEADERS IN THE BREWING AND DISTILLING 3
INDUSTRIES; 4
(II) LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS; 5
(III) LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPM ENT OFFICIALS; AND 6
(IV) LEADERS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY . 7
(G) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 8
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $350,000 TO THE PROGRAM. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2023. 11