H 3314 General Bill, By Breeland, Govan, J. Hines, McMahand, Whipper, Mack, 
M. Hines, Inabinett, Lloyd, Gourdine and Limehouse
 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 73 SO
 AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LICENSE PLATES AND
 TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED.

   01/20/99  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-10
   01/20/99  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 73 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LICENSE PLATES AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED.

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 73

Section 56-3-7750. (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, or other symbol the department considers appropriate to a certified service fraternity or sorority. A fraternity or sorority 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 fraternity or sorority also may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol not more than once every five years. 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.

(B) The fees collected pursuant to this section must be distributed to a separate fund for each of the respective fraternities or sororities. Each fund must be administered by the fraternity or sorority and may be used only for academic scholarships. Funds collected for each fraternity or sorority must be deposited in an account designated by the fraternity or sorority. The distribution is based on the total number of special license plates sold and on the number sold for the respective fraternity or sorority as follows:

(1) one thousand or less total special license plates sold: fifty-two dollars to the department and eighteen dollars to the fraternity or sorority for each special license plate sold for the respective organization;

(2) more than one thousand and less than two thousand total special license plates sold: forty-two dollars to the department and twenty-eight dollars to the fraternity or sorority for each special license plate sold for the respective organization;

(3) two thousand or more total special license plates sold: thirty dollars to the department and forty dollars to the fraternity or sorority for each special license plate sold for the respective organization.

(C) The department shall receive one hundred or more applications requesting a special license plate for a fraternity or sorority before a specialized license plate may be developed for that organization."

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