H 4346  General Bill, By Stuart, Leach, Loftis, Martin, Mason, J.H.Neal, Rodgers, 
Stille, E.C.Stoddard, Walker and Woodrum
 A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING, BY ADDING ARTICLE 78 SO
 AS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL
 LICENSE PLATES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-3710, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE
 PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITY LICENSE PLATES,
 SO AS TO REVISE THE PROCEDURE TO REQUEST A CHANGE IN A LICENSE PLATE EMBLEM,
 SEAL, OR SYMBOL.
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   12/03/97  House  Prefiled
   12/03/97  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
   01/13/98  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-24
   01/13/98  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-24
   02/18/98  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-8
   02/24/98  House  Amended HJ-33
   02/24/98  House  Read second time HJ-34
   02/25/98  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-28
   02/26/98  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-8
   02/26/98  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-8
   03/19/98  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Transportation SJ-15
   03/24/98  Senate Amended SJ-26
   03/24/98  Senate Read second time SJ-26
   03/25/98  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-12
   03/31/98  House  Non-concurrence in Senate amendment HJ-34
   04/01/98  Senate Senate insists upon amendment and conference
                     committee appointed  Sens. Patterson, Ravenel
                     and Hutto SJ-11
   04/01/98  House  Conference committee appointed  Reps. Littlejohn,
                     Stuart & Neal HJ-89
   05/13/98  Senate Free conference powers granted SJ-25
   05/13/98  Senate Free conference committee appointed  Patterson,
                     Hutto, Ravenel SJ-24
   05/13/98  Senate Free conference report received and adopted SJ-24
   05/13/98  House  Free conference powers rejected HJ-41
   06/03/98  House  Conference report received and adopted HJ-112

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ADOPTED

March 24, 1998

H. 4346

Introduced by Reps. Stuart, Stoddard, Leach, Rodgers, Loftis, Martin, Neal, Mason, Stille, Walker and Woodrum

S. Printed 3/24/98--S.

Read the first time February 26, 1998.

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING, BY ADDING ARTICLE 78 SO AS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-3710, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO REVISE THE PROCEDURE TO REQUEST A CHANGE IN A LICENSE PLATE EMBLEM, SEAL, OR SYMBOL.

Amend Title To Conform

Whereas, the number of special license plates issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has proliferated during the past several years; and

Whereas, the financial impact of the production and sale of special license plates should be revenue neutral; and

Whereas, there should be guidelines governing the production and issuance of future special license plates; and

Whereas, the Ad Hoc Committee of the House Education and Public Works Committee was created to study issues concerning the production and issuance of special license plates to ensure the orderly management of DPS's special license plate program and to ensure adequate organizational support for special license plate sponsors. Now, therefore,

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 81

Section 56-3-8100. (A) The department may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or light pickups having an empty weight of five thousand pounds or less and a gross weight of eight thousand pounds or less registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plate the emblem, a seal, or other symbol the department considers appropriate of an organization which has obtained certification pursuant to Section 501(C)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. The fee for this special license plate is the fee contained in Section 56-3-2020.

The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued.

(B) The department shall receive three hundred or more applications requesting a special license plate authorized under this section before a specialized license plate may be developed for an organization. Only certified members, as set forth on a list provided by the organization to the department, of organizations that have special license plates issued pursuant to this section may be issued a special license plate. Each certified member may only apply for one special license plate for each vehicle registered in his name."

SECTION 2. Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 78

Section 56-3-7910. (A) The department may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or light pickups having an empty weight of five thousand pounds or less and a gross weight of eight thousand pounds or less registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, logo, or other symbol of the H.L. Hunley submarine. The Hunley Commission shall submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, logo, or other symbol it desires to be used for this special license plate. The Hunley Commission may request a change in the emblem, seal, logo, or other symbol not more than once every five years. The fee for this special license plate is one hundred dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. This special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. The special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued.

(B) The fees collected pursuant to this section must be distributed to the Fund to Save the Hunley created by the Hunley Commission or another nonprofit fund designated by the commission for the continued curation of the Hunley submarine. Any such fund must be administered by the Hunley Commission and may be used only for efforts to raise, restore, and preserve the Hunley submarine. Any funds collected must be deposited in an appropriate nonprofit account designated by the Hunley Commission. The distribution shall be based on the total number of special license plates sold as follows:

(1) one thousand or less total special license plates sold: fifty-two dollars to the department and forty-eight dollars to the Hunley Commission for each special license plate sold;

(2) more than one thousand and less than two thousand total special license plates sold: forty-two dollars to the department and fifty-eight dollars to the Hunley Commission for each special license plate sold;

(3) two thousand or more total special license plates sold: thirty dollars to the department and seventy dollars to the Hunley Commission for each special license plate sold.

(C) The department shall reserve the first twelve license plates for use by the Hunley Commission."

SECTION 3. Section 56-3-3710(A) of the 1976 Code, is amended to read:

"(A) The department may issue to owners of private passenger motor vehicles special motor vehicle license plates which may have imprinted on them an emblem, a seal, or other symbol the department considers appropriate of a public college or university or independent institution of higher learning, defined in Section 59-113-50, located in this State. A school may submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for its respective special license plate. A school also may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol not more than once every five years once the existing inventory of the license plate has been exhausted. The fee for this special license plate is seventy dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. This special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. The special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued."

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.