H*3990(Rat #0106, Act #0044 of 2003)  General Bill, By Limehouse, Hagood, 
Breeland, Ceips, Hamilton, Harrell, Mack and Scarborough
 AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 62, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
 CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ARTIFICIAL REEF SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE, SO AS
 TO RENAME IT THE "SALTWATER FISHING" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE, AND PROVIDE THAT
 THE PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF THIS SPECIAL
 LICENSE PLATE THAT WAS USED TO SUPPORT ARTIFICIAL REEF DEVELOPMENT,
 MAINTENANCE, AND MANAGEMENT MUST BE USED TO MANAGE AND CONSERVE THE MARINE
 RESOURCES OF THIS STATE. - ratified title

   04/09/03  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-76
   04/09/03  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-76
   05/01/03  House  Recalled from Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-37
   05/02/03         Scrivener's error corrected
   05/06/03  House  Read second time HJ-22
   05/07/03  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-15
   05/08/03  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-6
   05/08/03  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-6
   05/14/03  Senate Recalled from Committee on Transportation SJ-3
   05/15/03  Senate Amended SJ-37
   05/15/03  Senate Read second time SJ-37
   05/15/03  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-37
   05/19/03  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-10
   05/21/03  House  Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-48
   05/28/03         Ratified R 106
   06/02/03         Signed By Governor
   06/05/03         Copies available
   06/05/03         Effective date 06/02/03
   06/19/03         Act No. 44

(A44, R106, H3990)

AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 62, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ARTIFICIAL REEF SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE, SO AS TO RENAME IT THE "SALTWATER FISHING" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE, AND PROVIDE THAT THE PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF THIS SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE THAT WAS USED TO SUPPORT ARTIFICIAL REEF DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND MANAGEMENT MUST BE USED TO MANAGE AND CONSERVE THE MARINE RESOURCES OF THIS STATE.

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

Saltwater fishing special license plates

SECTION    1.    Article 62, Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 352 of 2002, is amended to read:

"Article 62

Section 56-3-7300.    (A)    The department may issue 'Saltwater Fishing' 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. 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 license fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of seventy-five 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 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 deposited in a special account, separate and apart from the general fund, established within and administered by the Department of Natural Resources to manage and conserve the marine resources of the State.

(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."

Time effective

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

Ratified the 28th day of May, 2003.

Approved the 2nd day of June, 2003.