H 4011 General Bill, By Umphlett and Long

Similar(S 799)
 A BILL TO AMEND ARTICLE 45, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF
 SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE "NON-GAME WILDLIFE AND NATURAL AREAS
 FUND" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE, SO AS TO REVISE THE NAME OF THE LICENSE PLATE AND
 THE FUND IN WHICH PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS LICENSE PLATE MUST BE PLACED
 AND TO PROVIDE THE GUIDELINES WHICH MUST BE FOLLOWED BEFORE AND AFTER THIS
 LICENSE PLATE IS PRODUCED.

   04/30/09  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-156
   04/30/09  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-156

TO AMEND ARTICLE 45, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE "NON-GAME WILDLIFE AND NATURAL AREAS FUND" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE, SO AS TO REVISE THE NAME OF THE LICENSE PLATE AND THE FUND IN WHICH PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS LICENSE PLATE MUST BE PLACED AND TO PROVIDE THE GUIDELINES WHICH MUST BE FOLLOWED BEFORE AND AFTER THIS LICENSE PLATE IS PRODUCED.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 45, Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 353 of 2008, is further amended to read:

"Article 45

Section 56-3-4510.    The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue a series of special 'South Carolina Wildlife' commemorative motor vehicle license plates for use by the owner on his to owners of private passenger motor vehicle vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names. The special license plates, which must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates, must be imprinted with an emblem, seal, or symbol of or designed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for the purposes of the 'Non-game Wildlife and Natural Areas Game Protection Fund' provided in Section 50-1-280 50-9-20. The special fee for the commemorative this license plate is thirty dollars and this amount must be placed in the fund. This fee is in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of, Title 56. The All commemorative plate plates must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates and must be imprinted with the words 'South Carolina Protects Endangered Species Wildlife'. The plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period, which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued.

(B)    Notwithstanding another 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 Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be deposited in the 'Game Protection Fund' provided in Section 50-9-920, separate and apart from the general fund, established within and administered by the Department of Natural Resources to manage and conserve the wildlife resources of the State.

(C)    Before the department produces and distributes a plate within this series 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 within this series authorized under this section, Additional units of that particular plate shall not be produced. 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.