Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 54; Title 55; Title 65 and Title 67.

ON MARCH 11, 2024, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 78, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the department of transportation to erect and maintain directional signs for Milligan University at the I-81 / I-26 interchange, Exit 57A, in the City of Kingsport in Sullivan County. The erection of the signs must be within the guidelines prescribed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and within the state supplemental guidelines, as applicable. This amendment is operative only if the erection of such directional signs complies with federal law and the cost of the manufacture and installation of the signs is paid to the department of transportation from nonstate funds within one year of the effective date of this amendment. The payment must be made prior to any expenditure by the state for the manufacture or installation of the signs. The department must return any unused portion of the estimated cost to the person or entity paying for the signs within 30 days of the erection of the signs. If the actual cost exceeds the estimated cost, then an amount equal to the difference in the costs must be remitted to the department in nonstate funds within 30 days of the sponsoring person or entity receiving an itemized invoice of the actual cost from the department.