H581 - Revisions to Outdoor Advertising Laws

• Establishes uniform state regulation of off-premises outdoor advertising (billboards) and modernizes standards for sign relocation, reconstruction, and maintenance along interstate and primary highways.

• Increases permit fees for outdoor advertising structures from $120 initial/$60 annual to $240 initial/$75 annual, plus $240 fee for relocations and changeable message sign conversions.

• Allows existing permitted billboards to be relocated within the same jurisdiction, reconstructed with modern materials (steel monopoles), converted to changeable message signs with specified technical requirements, and expanded up to 672 square feet per sign face.

• Prohibits municipalities and counties from denying sign permits or conditioning development approval on billboard removal based on local zoning ordinances that conflict with state law, and requires 30-day decision timelines for permit applications and agency appeals.

• Sets a fixed tree removal compensation rate of $45 per caliper inch and allows billboard owners to selectively remove vegetation on private property (with landowner consent) and right-of-way (with permit) to maintain sign visibility.