To qualify for hospital or tourist information signing, a facility must meet the following specific criteria:

1. (1) HOSPITAL The facility must maintain continuous emergency care capability, with a physician on duty, twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, as certified to the Department by the hospital facility’s chief administrative officer.

2. (2) TOURIST INFORMATION

   1. (a) The tourist information center must be located within one mile of the interchange or intersection where the signing is to be installed.
   2. (b) The facility must be within an area reserved exclusively for the distribution of tourist information and completely separated from any other activity. It must be adequate to house attendants and visitors, and it must have adequate free parking available for its visitors. It must be clean and well constructed. The facility may not be operated with a purpose to promote or enhance any on-premise or adjacent business activity.
   3. (c) The distribution of tourist information must be the sole activity conducted at the facility.
   4. (d) The facility must be operated at least eight hours per day, seven days per week.
   5. (e) The facility may be either publicly or privately operated.
   6. (f) The facility must display information of statewide as well as regional interest, and the information must be dispensed at no cost to the motorist.
   7. (g) All privately owned tourist information centers and their associated parking areas must be located off of State highway right-of-way.
   8. (h) Clean, modern restroom facilities and drinking water must be available to visitors at all times the facility is open to the public.
   9. (i) Telephone service must be available for public use.

Authority: T.C.A. § 54-5-108(b). Administrative History: Original rule filed January 10, 1992; effective February 24, 1992. Repeal and new rule renumbered from 1680-03-02-.19 filed April 12, 2002; effective August 28, 2002.