WEST virginia legislature

2016 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 4188

By Delegates Hamrick, Ambler, Boggs, Cadle, Guthrie, Longstreth, Rohrbach, and Gearheart

[Originated in the Committee on Finance, February 9, 2016]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17-4-55, relating to the development and implementation of a program to facilitate commercial sponsorship of rest areas, welcome centers, and roads; providing for sponsorship agreements; providing for agreement requirements; providing for disposition of funds received from agreements; providing for the promulgation of emergency or legislative rules; and providing for a report of the status of the program.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §17-4-55, to read as follows.

ARTICLE 4. ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.

§17-4-55.  Controlled access facilities sponsorship program.

(a) The Division of Highways shall develop and implement a program to facilitate commercial sponsorship of rest areas, welcome centers and roads, as defined in section three, article one, chapter seventeen of this code, to help offset the costs of the operation and maintenance of rest areas, welcome centers and roads.

(b) The Division of Highways may enter into sponsorship agreements with private entities in accordance with this section. A sponsorship agreement may allow a private entity to place advertising signs identifying itself as a sponsor of the rest area, welcome center or road that is visible to the traveling public in exchange for consideration. A sponsorship agreement may include any other provisions the Division of Highways deems necessary.

(c) Sponsorship agreements shall comply with all applicable state and federal rules and regulations.

(d) All net revenue received by the Division of Highways from the sponsorship agreements shall be deposited in the State Road Fund.

(e) The Commissioner of the Division of Highways may propose rules for legislative approval or emergency rules pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to establish and implement the program as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) On or before December 1, 2016, the Commissioner of the Division of Highways shall submit a report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance detailing the status and progress of the development and implementation of the program.