Highways
A five-year renewal of all federal surface transportation programs remains pending in Congress. In late May, the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee passed their version of the comprehensive legislation. Meanwhile in the Senate, three committees share jurisdiction over U.S. Dept. of Transportation programs, but none have yet taken action. With a September 30 statutory deadline looming, House T&I Chairman Sam Graves (MO) is planning on a short-term extension to allow Congress to come to agreement. The legislation will extend authority for the Federal Highway Administration’s Outdoor Advertising Control program, which is the regulatory foundation for our industry.
Data Privacy
States have largely wrapped up annual legislative sessions for the year. Four states passed data privacy and consumer protection laws during this period. The most recent were Louisiana and Vermont, which enacted new statutes last month. Both state laws grant consumers rights and control over their personal data and restrict how providers use that data. There are now 24 states with individual privacy laws, as Alabama and Oklahoma also enacted laws this year.
Autonomous Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been considering regulatory changes for autonomous vehicle manufacturers. The agency recently proposed relaxing brake pedal mandates and may also remove steering wheel requirements. The agency’s actions respond to manufacturers planning the future development and production of autonomous vehicles.
Billboards
The Maryland Department of Transportation launched a highway safety initiative with a billboard campaign across the state, hoping to continue a two-year decline in state roadway fatalities, which numbered close to 500 in 2025. The billboard creative uses a direct approach, telling drivers to “Slow the F(ast) Down”. The campaign will run throughout the summer.
Elections
A Democratic National Committee working group recommended that South Carolina go first in its 2028 presidential primary process. In 2024, the DNC moved South Carolina ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire, who have long-held that status in presidential voting. In the current 2026 mid-term federal election process, over half of the states have completed their primaries, with 16 scheduled in August and 4 in September to complete the primary cycle.
Published: July 29, 2026