S*1167(Rat #0375, Act #0290 of 2002)  General Bill, By Pinckney and Richardson
 A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING BY ADDING ARTICLES 35 AND
 36, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "PENN CENTER" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES,
 AND "SOUTH CAROLINA NURSES" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE
 DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF BOTH SPECIAL LICENSE
 PLATES.-amended title

   03/27/02  Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference SJ-8
   04/04/02  Senate Amended SJ-23
   04/04/02  Senate Read second time SJ-23
   04/04/02  Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
                     amendments SJ-23
   04/10/02  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-29
   04/11/02  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-47
   04/11/02  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-47
   05/16/02  House  Committee report: Favorable Education and Public
                     Works HJ-6
   05/21/02  House  Read second time HJ-28
   05/22/02  House  Read third time and enrolled HJ-11
   05/28/02         Ratified R 375
   06/03/02         Signed By Governor
   06/17/02         Act No. 290
   06/27/02         Effective date 06/03/02
   06/27/02         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING BY ADDING ARTICLES 35 AND 36, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "PENN CENTER" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND "SOUTH CAROLINA NURSES" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF BOTH SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

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

Penn Center special license plates

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

"Article 35

Section 56-3-3500. (A) The department may issue 'Penn Center' special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or light pickups having an empty weight of seven thousand pounds or less and a gross weight of nine thousand pounds or less registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, or other symbol of the Penn Center. Penn Center, Inc., shall submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for this special license plate. Penn Center, Inc., may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol not more than once every five years. The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of thirty dollars.

(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Public Safety to defray the expenses of the Motor Vehicle Division in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to Penn Center, Inc., to support its activities.

(C) Before the department produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive:

(1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the license plate, then the department must retain the deposit; and

(2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate that must be approved by the department.

(D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate authorized under this section, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted."

South Carolina Nurses special license plates

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

"Article 36

Section 56-3-3600. (A) The department may issue South Carolina Nurses special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles registered in their names. The fee for each special license plate is forty-six dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued.

(B) Of the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Public Safety to defray the expenses of the Motor Vehicle Division in producing and administering this special license plate. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to the South Carolina Nurses Foundation to endow scholarships for all of the state's registered nursing programs.

(C) Before the department produces and distributes the South Carolina Nurses special license plates pursuant to this section, it must receive:

(1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department shall refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the respective license plate, the department shall retain the deposit;

(2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate which must be approved by the department.

(D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate, it may not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 28th day of May, 2002.

Approved the 3rd day of June, 2002.