S. 722 amends South Carolina law governing commercial advertisement benches placed in public rights-of-way. Under current law, the Department of Transportation may issue permits to regional transit authorities or public transit operators to install and maintain benches carrying commercial advertisements, subject to federal requirements, a $25 permit fee, and a now-expired permit date. The bill expands eligibility to include political subdivisions, allowing local government entities to apply for and maintain these benches as well.
The bill also removes two existing limitations: the requirement that each bench be located at the applicant’s own bus stop, and the sunset date that caused all permits issued under the section to expire on July 1, 2010. In effect, the measure updates the statute to make the permit program permanent and more flexible in where benches may be placed, so long as the location remains within the right-of-way of a public road and federal law is satisfied.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend Section 57-25-40 of the South Carolina Code of Laws to broaden the class of eligible permit applicants from transit authorities and public transit operators to include political subdivisions, such as counties or municipalities. It would also eliminate the statutory bus-stop-location restriction and remove the outdated expiration date for permits, thereby making the commercial-ad bench permitting framework ongoing rather than temporary. The Department of Transportation would retain authority to issue permits and charge the existing $25 application fee.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and relatively narrow in scope, suggesting a generally practical or technical policy purpose rather than a highly controversial one.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are the expansion of authority to political subdivisions, the removal of the requirement that benches be tied to the applicant’s bus stop, and the decision to make the permit program permanent by deleting the expiration date. Supporters may view these changes as modernizing and simplifying local advertising and transit infrastructure rules, while opponents could raise concerns about roadside advertising, local control, aesthetics, or the use of public rights-of-way for commercial purposes. No specific objections or proponents are identified in the provided record.