[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5156 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5156

To protect publicly owned trees from unnecessary destruction, maiming, 
                 or alteration, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2018

    Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself and Mr. Cicilline) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To protect publicly owned trees from unnecessary destruction, maiming, 
                 or alteration, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protect Public Trees Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION.

    Section 131 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(u) Protection of Publicly Owned Plants.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), an 
        individual or entity (including a governmental entity) directly 
        or indirectly may not modify, remove, or pile materials about 
        any tree, plant, or other vegetation that is partially or fully 
        on a public right-of-way adjacent to a highway of the 
        Interstate System or the primary system if a purpose of such 
        modification, removal, or piling of materials is to erect, 
        maintain, repair, or improve the visibility (including the 
        future visibility) of privately owned commercial outdoor 
        advertising.
            ``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) does not apply if a purpose 
        of the modification, removal, or piling of materials described 
        in paragraph (1) is to improve or maintain safety.''.
                                 <all>