S 0024 General Bill, By Mescher, Reese, M.T. Rose and Wilson
 A Bill to amend Sections 56-3-3310 and 56-3-3320, as amended and 56-3-3340,
 Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to Purple Heart recipient
 license plates, so as to delete the requirement of payment of a fee, to
 provide for the issuance of a permanent plate, and to provide that the license
 plate may be issued and transferred to a leased vehicle; and to amend Section
 12-37-220, as amended, relating to exemption for ad valorem taxes, so as to
 provide that a leased vehicle with a Purple Heart license plate is exempt from
 ad valorem taxation.

   09/19/94  Senate Prefiled
   09/19/94  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation
   01/10/95  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-17
   01/10/95  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-17

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTIONS 56-3-3310 AND 56-3-3320, AS AMENDED, AND 56-3-3340, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT OF PAYMENT OF A FEE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A PERMANENT PLATE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE LICENSE PLATE MAY BE ISSUED AND TRANSFERRED TO A LEASED VEHICLE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 12-37-220, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO EXEMPTION FOR AD VALOREM TAXES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A LEASED VEHICLE WITH A PURPLE HEART LICENSE PLATE IS EXEMPT FROM AD VALOREM TAXATION.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 56-3-3310, as last amended by Act 164 and Act 181 of 1993, of the 1976 Code is further amended to read:

"Section 56-3-3310. The department may issue a special motor vehicle shall provide, upon proper application being made, a distinctive permanent license plate to any resident of the State who is a recipient of the Purple Heart, for use on a private motor vehicle registered or leased in the recipient's name. The biennial fee for the special license plate is the same as the fee provided for in Section 56-3-2020, and There is no fee for the license plate but only one plate may be issued to any person. The application for a special plate must include proof that the applicant is a recipient of the Purple Heart."

SECTION 2. Section 56-3-3320, as last amended by Act 164 of 1993, of the 1976 Code is further amended to read:

"Section 56-3-3320. The special license plates must be of the same size as regular motor vehicle plates, upon which must be imprinted on the left side of the plates the distinctive Purple Heart insignia with numbers and designs determined by the department. The license plate must be issued for a biennial period which shall expire twelve months from the month in which the special license plate is issued."

SECTION 3. Section 56-3-3330 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-3-3330. A license plate issued pursuant to this article may be transferred to another vehicle of the same weight class owned or leased by the same person upon application being made and approved by the Department department. It is unlawful for any person to whom the special plate has been issued to knowingly permit it to be displayed on any vehicle except the one authorized by the Department department."

SECTION 4. Section 12-37-220B.(26) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(26) All personal motor vehicles owned or leased by recipients of the Medal of Honor or the Purple Heart for which special license tags have been issued by the Department of Highways and Public Transportation under the provisions of Article 16 and Article 33 of Chapter 3 of Title 56 are exempt from state, county, and municipal taxes."

SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.