(A) The Department of Transportation shall be responsible for the erection and maintenance of the official signs giving specific information to the traveling public providing directions to agritourism and tourism-oriented facilities. All signs must conform to department rules and regulations regarding the size and placement of the signs and be in compliance with all federal and state regulations.
(B) The Department of Transportation shall coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, as applicable, to allow those departments to promote agritourism and tourism- oriented facilities participating in this directional signage program.
(C) The criteria for selection of qualified agritourism facilities shall be recommended by the Department of Agriculture and incorporated into regulations of the Department of Transportation pursuant to Section 57-25-830(A). The criteria for selection of qualified tourism facilities shall be recommended by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and incorporated into regulations of the Department of Transportation pursuant to Section 57-25-830(A).
(D) The approval of applications for signs for agritourism and tourism-oriented facilities must be determined by an oversight committee. The oversight committee shall consist of the following members and shall meet at the call of the chairman semiannually to consider applications for signage:
(1) Secretary of the Department of Transportation, or his designee, serving as chairman;
(2) Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, or his designee;
(3) Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, or his designee;
(4) President of the South Carolina Association of Tourism Regions (SCATR), or his designee, and a member of SCATR appointed by its president;
(5) President of the South Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition, or his designee, and a member of the SCTTC appointed by its president; and
(6) President of the Outdoor Advertising Association of South Carolina, or his designee, and a member of the Outdoor Advertising Association appointed by its president.
HISTORY: 2012 Act No. 224, Section 1, eff June 18, 2012.