S 0344 General Bill, By Wilson, Giese, Peeler, Grooms, Bauer, Leatherman and 
Branton

Similar(H 3272)
 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 87 SO
 AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY MAY ISSUE NASCAR SPECIAL
 LICENSE PLATES, AND PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FOR THESE
 SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

   02/15/01  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-12
   02/15/01  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-12
   03/28/01  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Transportation SJ-17
   03/29/01  Senate Amended SJ-12
   03/29/01  Senate Read second time SJ-12
   03/29/01  Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
                     amendments SJ-12
   06/07/01  Senate Recommitted to Committee on Transportation SJ-272

March 29, 2001

    S. 344

Introduced by Senators Wilson, Giese, Peeler, Grooms, Bauer, Leatherman and Branton

S. Printed 3/29/01--S.

Read the first time February 15, 2001.

TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING, BY ADDING ARTICLE 87 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY MAY ISSUE NASCAR SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FOR THESE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

    Amend Title To Conform

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 87

    Section 56-3-8700.    (A)    The Department of Public Safety may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles or light pickups having an empty weight of six thousand six hundred 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 the department considers appropriate to a NASCAR driver or team. A NASCAR driver or team may submit to the department for approval of the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for its respective special license plate. Before a design is approved, however, the NASCAR driver or team must submit to the department written authorization for the use of a copyrighted or registered logo, trademark, or design. A NASCAR driver or team also may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol once the existing supply has been exhausted. The fee for this special license plate is seventy 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, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expense of producing this license plate. The remaining funds must be distributed as follows:

        (1)    fifty percent to the Department of Social Services for children's shelters;

        (2)    twenty-five percent to the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame; and

        (3)    twenty-five percent to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to be used to promote sports-related tourism in this State.

    (C)    Before the Department of Public Safety produces and distributes a special license plate pursuant to this section, it must receive four hundred 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.

    (D)    If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular NASCAR special license plate, it may not produce additional special license plates in that 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.