The President today signed the first long-term Highway Bill in a decade; Congress completed action on Thursday.
The five-year bill retains the federal regulatory structure for billboards (Highway Beautification Act), which protects property rights by requiring that government pay just compensation for removal of billboards.
As Congress was considering this major legislation, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) led the fight to reject two amendments that would alter federal regulation, by:
• Allowing corporate logo advertising on the right of way. This amendment was defeated on the House floor November 4.
• Changing the 50-year definition of “customary use.” Leaders of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee blocked this amendment in committee.
“The industry remains strong on Capitol Hill because we are united and persistent,” said OAAA President and CEO Nancy Fletcher.
“We were tested, and we prevailed because of longtime relationships in both political parties, because key members of Congress heard from constituents from home, and because OAAA members nationwide make it their business to know their elected representatives.”