H 4475 General Bill, By Huggins
 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 57 SO
 AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES MAY ISSUE "FREEMASONRY"
 SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED
 FOR THESE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

   01/19/06  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-10
   01/19/06  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-10

TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING, BY ADDING ARTICLE 57 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES MAY ISSUE "FREEMASONRY" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FOR THESE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

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 57

Section 56-3-6050.    (A)    The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue Freemasonry special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles or light pickup trucks an empty weight of six thousand pounds or less and a gross weight of nine thousand pounds or less registered in their names who are masons that shall have imprinted on the plate an emblem or symbol associated with Freemasonry. The motor vehicle owner must present the department with a valid, current dues card from a masonic organization having tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code. The fee charged for the special license plate shall be adjusted as necessary to account for any additional expenses associated with a change in design. The fee for this special license plate is twenty dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. 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)    From the fees collected pursuant to this article, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses associated with producing and administering the distribution of the license plate. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to the Eau Claire Masonic Lodge #344, Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina, located in Richland County.

(C)    Before the Department of Motor Vehicles produces and distributes a special license plate 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 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, the department shall retain the deposit; and

(2)    a plan to market the sale of the plate approved by the department.

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

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.