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SALT LAKE CITY -- Things are moving forward for those school districts that want to put ads on buses.
During the last legislative session, lawmakers passed HB199, which allows districts to raise money by putting ads on buses. But next it had to go through UDOT because it oversees motor carriers in the state.
Spokeswoman Tania Mashburn says within the past week or so, UDOT finalized its rules on placement and content of the ads. Those rules are basically formalizing what the bill laid out during the session.
- Begins July 1
- Runs for 30 days
- Comment at rules.utah.gov
"The ads can't have anything that's illegal for minors, like cigarettes or alcohol. They can't have anything sexual, they can't have anything political," she said.
The ads cannot be on the inside, front or back of a bus. They can only be on the side, and only take up 35 percent of the side of the bus.
Mashburn says those rules now go into a public comment period.
"That will start on July 1. Once the 30 days are over, at that point we'll have an evaluation period of all the comments. Then the rules should go into effect in August, sometime before the next school year," Mashburn explains.
Mashburn says if anyone wants to comment on it they can go to rules.utah.gov.
There are no required rules or review of UDOT rules by the State Board of Education. Once UDOT rules are effective, local school boards that choose to have bus advertisement it must have guidelines consistent with UDOT rules.
Some districts have been waiting to get at it, while others say they are not interested.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
